THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauds MUDRA Yojana as a silent revolution empowering entrepreneurs on its 10th anniversary.
- Supreme Court rules Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s decision over reserving 10 bills for President’s approval as illegal and erroneous.
- External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar holds meeting with Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum to enhance ties between the two countries.
- Three more political organisations in Jammu and Kashmir disassociate themselves from separatist Hurriyat Conference.
- Asian markets rebound despite Trump’s tarrifs threats; BSE Sensex rallies over 1200 points.
- China calls U.S. President Trump’s threat to impose additional 50 percent tariff as blackmail tactics.
- In IPL cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders to take on Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens in Kolkata this evening.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asserted that his government will continue focusing on ensuring a robust ecosystem where every aspiring entrepreneur has access to credit, giving them the confidence and a chance to grow. In a social media post on the 10th anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, PM Modi said half of the Mudra beneficiaries belong to SC, ST and OBC Communities, and over 70 percent of the beneficiaries are women. The Prime Minister noted that every Mudra loan carries with it dignity, self-respect and opportunity. He added that this scheme has also ensured social inclusion and economic freedom besides financial inclusion.
Prime Minister Modi also interacted with beneficiaries of the scheme at his residence and underlined that Mudra Yojana has given opportunities to countless people to showcase their entrepreneurial skills. He said 33 lakh crore rupees have been given to the people of the country without any guarantee under this scheme.
Mr. Modi also highlighted that the scheme aims to empower the youth, making them self-reliant and confident; with the ability to become job creators rather than just job seekers.
During the interaction, the beneficiaries shared their entrepreneurial experiences with the Prime Minister.
In the last ten years, more than 52 crore loans worth around 33 lakh crore rupees have been sanctioned under the scheme.
<><><>
The Supreme Court ruled that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi acted “illegal and erroneous” by reserving 10 bills, re-adopted by the state assembly, for the President’s approval.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan ruled that it was not open for the Governor to reserve a bill for the President, which was re-presented by the state government after being passed again by the Assembly. Once the bills were re-presented to the Governor, he should have approved them, as they were deemed assented to. The bench also made it clear that under Article 200 of the Constitution, the Governor does not have discretionary power to withhold assent and must act on the advice of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling as a historic victory for Tamil Nadu and all state governments across India. Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, CM Stalin said the verdict vindicated the state’s stand on legislative autonomy.
<><><>
External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar held a meeting with the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of UAE, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum today in New Delhi. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar expressed appreciation for the Crown Prince’s positive sentiments regarding the wide-ranging cooperation and vibrant ties between the two nations. This Afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a working lunch for the Crown Prince. The visiting dignitary who is on a two day visit to India, will also hold a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Later in the evening, the Crown Prince will leave for Mumbai, where he will participate in a business roundtable with prominent business leaders from both sides. The interaction will strengthen India – UAE economic and commercial cooperation across traditional and futuristic areas. Earlier, The Crown Prince arrived in New Delhi this morning. Minister of State Suresh Gopi received him at the airport in the national capital. This is his first official visit to India as the Crown Prince of Dubai. He is accompanied by several Ministers, senior government officials and a high level business delegation.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu is on a historic State visit to Portugal and the Slovak Republic. On the second and final day of her visit to Portugal today, the President will meet the Prime Minister of Portugal, Luis Montenegro. Yesterday, President Murmu held delegation-level talks with her Portuguese counterpart, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, in Lisbon. More from our correspondent:
“The President of India, Droupadi Murmu on second and concluding day of her visit to Portugal will meet Prime Minister of Portugal Luis Montenegro. President will also visit Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, Champalim Foundation and Radhakrishna Temple. President also visit Statue of Mahatama Gandhi at Alameda and pay floral Tributes at the ‘Statue of Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi’. Pooja P. Vardhan, Akashwani News, Lisbon.”
After concluding her visit to Portugal, President Murmu will travel to Slovakia at the invitation of Slovak President Peter Pellegrini.
<><><>
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Israel’s Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter today signed agreements related to bilateral cooperation in agriculture in New Delhi. Addressing the meeting, Mr Chouhan said the bilateral partnership between India and Israel is progressing well. The minister highlighted that both nations are having excellent cooperation in the fields of agriculture, innovation, water and technology.
<><><>
Three more political organisations in Jammu and Kashmir have disassociated themselves from the separatist Hurriyat Conference. These include the Jammu Kashmir Islamic Political Party, the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Democratic League, and the Kashmir Freedom Front. In a social media post, Union Home Minister Amit Shah welcomed the move. He said this is a strong reflection of the people’s trust in the Constitution of India. Mr. Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a united and strong Bharat stands further reinforced, as so far, eleven organisations have distanced themselves from separatism.
Meanwhile Union Home Minister Amit Shah today chaired a high-level meeting at the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar to review the progress on the ongoing developmental projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was aimed to have a first hand account of the progress of key infrastructure and welfare initiatives under the central government’s development agenda for Jammu & Kashmir.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were present during the meeting.
Amit Shah directed the J&K Administration to focus on accelerating infrastructure growth, boosting tourism, improving connectivity, and enhancing welfare schemes across Jammu and Kashmir regions. The Home Minister is scheduled to chair a high-level meeting on security situation in Jammu & Kashmir. He will also a chair comprehensive review meeting regarding overall security scenario in view of the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra starting on 3rd July this year.
<><><>
Most Asian markets opened higher today. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rebounded strongly to rise 6.41 per cent while the Topix gained 6.81 per cent during opening trade after US President Donald Trump and Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to open trade talks in a phone call yesterday.
In South Korea, the Kospi rose 1.7 per cent and the small-cap Kosdaq climbed 2.35 per cent. The small-cap Kosdaq climbed 2.35 per cent.
China’s stock market rebounded after a steep selloff at the start of the week, China’s Shanghai Composite limped up to 0.8 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index jumped 3 per cent, recovering some of the massive losses it suffered yesterday when it plunged 13.2 per cent.
<><><>
The Benchmark domestic equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, were trading over two per cent up in the afternoon trade today driven by widespread buying across various sectors, with information technology pack leading the gains. The 30-share BSE Sensex surged 1,506 points to 74,643 and the NSE Nifty50 rose 467 points to 22,628, when reports last came in.
<><><>
China has responded strongly after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on Chinese goods if Beijing does not withdraw its retaliatory tariffs by today.
China’s Commerce Ministry said it will never accept what it described as the “blackmail tactics” of the United States and vowed to fight to the end in the escalating trade dispute.If implemented; the new tariffs could result in a total tax burden of up to 104 percent on certain imports from China.
<><><>
Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has called for careful analysis in response to the tariffs imposed by the United States. Speaking to media in New Delhi today, Mr. Puri said that development regarding the tariffs should be allowed to evolve before taking any hasty decisions.
President Donald Trump announced that the United States has begun direct negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program, despite Tehran’s previous dismissal of Washington’s calls for dialogue. Speaking to reporters at the White House yesterday along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that Iran would face significant consequences if diplomatic efforts to address its nuclear ambitions were unsuccessful.
<><><>
In the IPL T20 Cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, at 3:30 PM today, while in the second match, Punjab Kings will lock horns with Chennai Super Kings in Chandigarh at 7:30 PM.
Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Mumbai Indians by 12 runs at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai last night. Chasing a target of 222, Mumbai managed to score only 209 for nine in their allotted 20 overs.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauds MUDRA Yojana as a silent revolution empowering entrepreneurs on its 10th anniversary.
- Supreme Court rules Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s decision over reserving 10 bills for President’s approval as illegal and erroneous.
- External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar holds meeting with Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum to enhance ties between the two countries.
- Three more political organisations in Jammu and Kashmir disassociate themselves from separatist Hurriyat Conference.
- Asian markets rebound despite Trump’s tarrifs threats; BSE Sensex rallies over 1200 points.
- China calls U.S. President Trump’s threat to impose additional 50 percent tariff as blackmail tactics.
- In IPL cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders to take on Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens in Kolkata this evening.
<><><>
