THE HEADLINES: –
- India reaffirms its continued support to Mauritius; External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calls on Island Nation’s Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in Port Louis.
- International Monetary Fund raises India’s GDP forecast to seven percent for current financial year.
- CBI arrests two more accused in NEET-UG paper leak case.
- Key domestic equity indices settle at record highs for consecutive third session; Nifty closes above 24,600.
- In tennis, India’s Sumit Nagal advances to pre-quarter final of men’s singles of Swedish Open; Attains his career-high ATP ranking of 68.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today called on Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in Port Louis. Dr Jaishankar conveyed the warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mr Jagnauth. They took stock of India-Mauritius special and enduring partnership and appreciated its further broadening. Dr Jaishankar said he is looking forward to the continued collaboration and strengthening of India-Mauritius relations.
Jointly addressing media, Dr Jaishankar said, Mauritius is one of the first countries that he is visiting in his current term as External Affairs Minister. He said, it underscores the strength and depth of the bilateral ties. The Minister said, it is also an opportunity to underline India’s unwavering commitment to its special and enduring partnership with Mauritius. He said, the relationship today has actually blossomed into a robust and multifaceted partnership and it serves as a role model for India’s successful development collaboration abroad. External Affairs Minister also reiterated India’s consistent and continued support to Mauritius in its quest for progress and prosperity.
Mr Jagnauth and Dr Jaishankar inaugurated 12 High Impact Community Development Projects. They witnessed exchange of agreements for space cooperation, development of National Institute for Curriculum Research, renewing ICCR Chair for Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy and digitisation of Indian Immigration Archives.
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President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and R. Mahadevan as Judges of the Supreme Court. Justice N. Kotiswar Singh is currently Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while Justice R. Mahadevan as Judge of Madras High Court. Law and Justice Ministry said, the appointment will come into effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) today upgraded India’s economic growth forecast by 20 basis points (bps) to 7 per cent year-on-year basis for the current financial year 2024-25. Earlier also in April, IMF has raised GDP forecast of the country by 30 bps to 6.8 percent in its World Economic Outlook.
The international organisation, in the latest Economic Outlook, said that the forecast for growth in India has been revised upward amid improved prospects for private consumption, particularly in rural areas.
With this, India continues to be the fastest growing economy of the world.
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The final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2024-25 commenced with the customary Halwa ceremony in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi today. The Halwa ceremony was also attended by Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary along with Secretaries of Finance Ministry, Chairmen of CBDT and CBIC, besides officials of Finance Ministry and North Block Budget Press. Ms Sitharaman also distributed halwa to members of Budget Press along with other staff of the Finance Ministry present on the occasion.
The Union Budget 2024-25 will be presented on 23rd of this month.
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Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that scientists need to come into direct contact with farmers to increase the quantity of produce. Mr. Chouhan said this after inaugurating the 96th Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi. He said that to achieve the targets set by the government, including doubling farmers’ income, every component of agriculture from scientists, universities, and colleges, to Krishi Vigyan Kendras to farming land needs to work in unison.
The Minister also highlighted that the country has not only become self-sufficient in grain production but has also achieved unprecedented growth in fishery and dairy production. He said that the government is also committed to making country self-sufficient in pulses and oilseeds as well.
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Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs Nidhi Khare has said that prices of Chana, Tur and Urad in major mandis had declined by up to four per cent in past one month. She said, however retail prices of these commodities have not seen similar decline. She pointed out the diverging trends between wholesale mandi prices and retail prices, which seems to suggest that retailers are deriving higher profit margin. Mrs Khare today held a meeting with Retailers Association of India (RAI) to discuss the price scenario in respect of pulses and compliance to the stock limits for Tur and Chana.
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Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal held talks with his Swiss counterpart Guy Parmelin to work towards achieving the goals set in Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA). Mr Goyal was on a two day official visit to Switzerland from Sunday. During the bilateral talks, both sides acknowledged that TEPA provides an excellent framework for deepening of trade and investment partnership.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said that the Congress is snatching the reservation of the backward classes in Karnataka and giving it to the Muslim community. If the Congress government comes to power in Haryana, it will do the same thing here too. He said that this will not be allowed to happen in Haryana under any circumstances.
Mr. Shah was addressing the ‘Pichhda Varg Samman sammelan” as a chief guest at the Central University in Pali, Mahendragarh today.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested two more accused in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak case.
One of the accused, a resident of Bokaro, Jharkhand has been arrested from Patna for allegedly stealing the NEET- UG examination paper from National Testing Agency’s trunk in Hazaribagh. Another person arrested from Hazaribagh is accused of assisting him in stealing the paper.
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The Supreme Court today issued notice on bail pleas of senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia in the alleged liquor policy scam. A bench presided over by Justice BR Gavai asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file their reply in the matter by 29th of this month.
Sisodia’s counsel argued that the senior AAP leader has been incarcerated for 16 months and the trial remained at the same stage as it was in October last year.
Yesterday, a Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Sisodia till 22th of this month. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order upon the expiry of the previously granted judicial custody.
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The Election Commission today issued a Standard Operating Procedure for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) burnt memory checking and verification with expanded choices for candidates. The SOP includes the selection of EVMs from any polling station in an assembly constituency and the mix and match of EVM units from any polling station connecting Ballot Unit, Control Unit and VVPAT in any sequence.
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Maharashtra Government has relieved trainee Indian Administrative Service – IAS officer Puja Khedkar from the state’s district training program with immediate effect. According to an order issued by Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary Nitin Gadre, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie has decided to put the officer’s training program on hold and recalled her for further action. The order mentions that Dr. Puja Khedkar must report to the academy at the earliest but not later than 23rd of July 2024 under any circumstance.
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In Bangladesh, three people killed and more than hundred injured today in a protest against the quota reform movement in different cities of Bangladesh including the capital Dhaka.
The traffic movement in Dhaka became standstill today, as students blocked roads in Chattogram, Rangpur, Rajshahi and other cities of Bangladesh, including highways in different parts of the country. The rail lines at several locations, including Dhaka’s Mohakhali blocked by the agitators.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Kerala during the next five days. IMD said heavy rainfall is also likely over Telangana, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Tamil Nadu.
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In Uttar Pradesh, more than 1,500 villages in 17 districts are affected by floods. In addition urban areas in Bareilly, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur are also affected. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has reviewed the situation and directed officials to ensure assistance to flood victims within 24 hours. He directed officials to keep an eye on the flood and heavy rain situation and to monitor levels of all rivers and embankments round the clock. More from our correspondent:
“Many villages in Pilibhit, Lakhimpur, Kushinagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Gonda, Sitapur, Hardoi, Ayodhya, Bahraich, Gorakhpur, Badaun, Deoria, Unnao, Farrukhabad, Bareilly and Barabanki districts have been affected by floods due to rainfall and the release of dam water. The floods have affected 14.80 lakh people, of whom 5.29 lakh are those whose property, including crops, homes, goods has got destroyed. In Gorakhpur, 91 boats have been deployed for relief in 48 flood-affected villages. Relief material was distributed to more than seven and a half thousand flood victims in Pilibhit. In view of the rising water level of Ganga in Varanasi, the operation of small boats in Ganga has been banned till further orders. 133 villages are in the grip of flood in Hardoi. 48 flood posts and 105 shelters have been built here. Om Awasthi, Akashwani News, Lucknow”
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In Gujarat, light to moderate rainfall has been recorded in more than 20 districts today. As a result of the persistent rains in the state for the last two days, the water level in major dams and rivers has increased. More than 200 reservoirs in the state have recorded nearly 34% water storage so far. Seven water reservoirs in the state have been put on high alert. We have a report:
“Following the torrential rains in catchment areas, the water storage in the Sardar Sarovar Dam, the lifeline of Gujrat, has crossed 52 per cent of its total capacity. Three reservoirs of Saurashtra region Wagdia, Vansal and Sasoi-2 are overflowing and have been put on high alert. Five major dams of the state including Bhadar and Dholi dams have achieved 50 percent of the total storage capacity. Meanwhile, IMD has issued orange alerts for several districts of Saurashtra and South Gujarat for the next 24 hours. Aparna Khunt//Akashvani News//Ahmedabad.”
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Indian Benchmark stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, settled at record high levels in their third straight day of gains today following buying in FMCG, telecom and select IT shares and FII inflows. In the broader market at the BSE, the Mid-Cap index down by 0.29 percent, while the Small-cap index up by 0.32 percent.
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In Swedish Open tennis, India’s Sumit Nagal defeated Swedish ‘Elias Ymer’ 6-4, 6-3 in the Men’s singles round of 32 clash at the Båstad Tennis Stadium in Sweden this evening.
In the Men’s double’s clash, match between pair of Sumit Nagal and Karol Drzewiecki of Poland and French professionals Alexandre Müller and Luca Van Assche is also scheduled this evening.
Meanwhile, Nagal has achieved a new career-high ranking of 68 in the men’s singles category in the latest ATP Rankings. In yesterday’s release, 26-year-old Nagal climbed five spots. With this jump, he became fourth highest-ranked Indian man since the system’s introduction in 1973.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- India reaffirms its continued support to Mauritius; External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calls on Island Nation’s Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in Port Louis.
- International Monetary Fund raises India’s GDP forecast to seven percent for current financial year.
- CBI arrests two more accused in NEET-UG paper leak case.
- Key domestic equity indices settle at record highs for consecutive third session; Nifty closes above 24,600.
- In tennis, India’s Sumit Nagal advances to pre-quarter final of men’s singles of Swedish Open; Attains his career-high ATP ranking of 68.
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