Midday News -

THE HEADLINES ::

Nation celebrates ten years of Digital India; Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the Mission is now a mass movement and key to building Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, India-US relations remain strong, driven by cooperation in tech, trade, education, and security.
US terms India a strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region; Says a major trade deal is close to being announced.
Thailand’s constitutional court suspends Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over a leaked phone call.
In Himachal Pradesh, Monsoon rains trigger landslides and floods as IMD issues alert for heavy rains.
In Women’s Cricket, India to take on hosts England in second T20 International at Bristol tonight.

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India is celebrating 10 years of the Digital India programme. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that Digital India has become a people’s movement and is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and making India a trusted innovation partner to the world. In a blog marking ten years of the Digital India programme, he said India is moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, and from India-first to India-for-the-world.

Mr. Modi wrote that while decades were once spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, this mindset has changed. Similarly, he noted that instead of believing technology would deepen inequality, it is now being used to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. He emphasized that when the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered, and inclusive approaches have brought meaningful changes to the lives of those on the margins. This belief, he said, laid the foundation of Digital India, a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and create opportunities for all.

The Prime Minister said India is now the most affordable compute destination with the 1.2 billion dollar India AI Mission. He added that India is championing humanity-first AI, and the New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. Mr. Modi concluded that the next decade will be even more transformative.

Our correspondent reports that the digital India initiative has made significant strides, bringing internet access to remote areas and making government services available online.

“The digital India initiative has truly bridged the digital divide by bringing internet access to remote corners of the country and making government services available online. The people can access healthcare, education, banking, and other services with just a few clicks. Mobile connectivity has expanded to almost every village of the country due to the Digital India campaign. Forty four lakh crore rupees have been transferred through Direct Benefits Transfer, which saved over three lakh 48 thousand crore rupees of the government. Digital services have made governance faster and more transparent. The Unified Payments Interface, UPI allows users to instantly transfer money between bank accounts using a smartphone. Today, nearly 46 crore people and over six crore merchants are using UPI. Akshit Vedyan, Akashvani News Delhi.”

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On ten years of Digital India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said, the Digital India initiative has democratized technology, transforming India into a global digital powerhouse.

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The Goods and Services Tax (GST), which has replaced a maze of indirect taxes with a single, unified system, has completed eight years today. The GST was introduced in 2017 as a major step towards economic integration and tax reforms. It has made tax compliance easier, reduced costs for businesses, and allowed goods to move freely across states. These measures not only improved the ease of doing business but also strengthened the tax base.

GST rates in the country are determined by the GST Council, which includes representatives from the Union and State or Union Territory governments. The current GST structure consists of four main rate slabs – five percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has congratulated the State Bank of India on completing 70 years of service today. In a social media post, Ms Sitharaman pointed out that with over 23 thousand branches, 78 thousand Customer Service Points and 64 thousand ATMs, SBI’s footprint today is formidable and it is truly the Banker to every Indian. She added that the digital transformation it has achieved in the last decade has been immensely beneficial to its customers. Highlighting the Bank’s impact in nation building, she noted that it is supporting 1.5 crore farmers, 1.3 crore Self-Help Groups led by women, 32 lakh street vendors under PM SVANidhi, 23 lakh MSMEs, and lakhs of artisans across various schemes.

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The death toll in the pharmaceutical unit explosion at Pashamylatam in Telangana’s Sangareddy district has risen to 35

Police have so far been able to identify only 11 bodies. Authorities supervising the rescue operation said that around 16 workers are still feared trapped under the debris. Rescue efforts are continuing round the clock with the help of NDRF and SDRF personnel.

Of the 35 workers admitted to the hospital with burn injuries, the condition of 12 is reported to be critical. Most of the victims are reported to be migrant workers from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the accident site today. He held discussions with officials regarding the circumstances that led to the explosion and reviewed the rescue operations. He also visited the hospital where workers are undergoing treatment. The Chief Minister has ordered a thorough inquiry into the tragic incident. The Chief Minister has announced one crore rupees each to the families of the deceased and 10 lakh rupees for those injured. The State Government has also taken up measures to identify the deceased through DNA testing.

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President Droupadi Murmu today inaugurated the Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Describing the university as a modern centre of India’s ancient traditions and values, the President said, the institution would prove to be a milestone in the field of health services not only for Uttar Pradesh but for the entire country.

President Murmu said the tradition of preserving yoga and health in India is ancient. She stressed the need to take this tradition forward to make the country developed by 2047.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandi Ben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were also present on the occasion. In his address, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the occasion as the beginning of a new era in health and culture in the state.

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Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today launched RailOne app, which is a one-stop solution for all passenger services. The App offers ease of access for services like ticketing, enquiries of trains, PNR, Journey Planning, Rail Madad Services and Food on Train. Addressing a function, Mr Vaishnaw said, the entire focus of the Railway officers should be on passenger safety.

The RailOne App can be downloaded from both Android PlayStore and iOS App Store.

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External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar has hailed the relationship between India and the US, particularly over the course of 25 years, noting that the two countries have enjoyed strong and “very positive” ties under the last five US Presidents. Dr. Jaishankar, noted that the trend line of India-US ties over the past 25 years has been “very strong”

The External Affairs Minister said both the countries are in the middle of a very intricate trade negotiation and expressed hope that India and the US will reach a successful conclusion to the trade negotiations.

Dr. S. Jaishankar is currently in the US to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Washington DC tonight.

The Quad, comprising India, the US, Australia and Japan, is a key grouping largely focusing on peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

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The United States has reaffirmed India’s importance as a key strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region, while confirming that a long-anticipated trade deal between New Delhi and Washington is very close to announcement. During a press briefing, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised India’s role in the region and highlighted the strong personal relationship between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Thailand’s Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office over a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The court today announced it has accepted a petition filed by 36 senators, accusing Paetongtarn of dishonesty and violating ethical standards under the constitution. The petition concerns a politically sensitive telephone conversation with the former Cambodian leader, linked to her handling of a recent border clash.

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Normal life has been severely affected in Himachal Pradesh due to continuous monsoon rains. In the past 24 hours, Mandi district has recorded the highest rainfall of 223 millimeters. The Meteorological Department has issued a forecast of heavy rainfall in the state until July 6.

“The spell of heavy monsoon rains continues in Himachal Pradesh. So far, 48 people have died in rain-related incidents, while several others are still reported missing. Mandi district has been the worst affected due to last night’s heavy downpour and cloudburst incidents. Four people have died here today, while 16 are missing. According to a report released by the Mandi district administration, 261 roads are blocked, over 1,700 power transformers are non-functional, and several drinking water schemes have also been disrupted. The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway remains closed at multiple locations. In view of the continued rains and the risk of landslides, educational institutions in the districts of Mandi, Kangra, and Hamirpur have been kept closed today. NDRF, SDRF, and local administration teams are continuously engaged in relief and rescue operations. The Meteorological Centre in Shimla has issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in most parts of the state for today and tomorrow. Ritesh Kapoor, Akashvani News, Shimla.”

Meanwhile, Meteorological Department has also forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, East Madhya Pradesh and West Uttar Pradesh today.

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In women’s T20 Cricket, India will take on England in the second of the five-match series in Bristol, tonight. The match will start at 11 pm Indian Time. The visitors had won the first match by 97 runs in Nottingham, taking a 1- nil lead in the series.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN ::

Nation celebrates ten years of Digital India; Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the Mission is now a mass movement and key to building Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, India-US relations remain strong, driven by cooperation in tech, trade, education, and security.
US terms India a strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region; Says a major trade deal is close to being announced.
Thailand’s constitutional court suspends Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra over a leaked phone call.
In Himachal Pradesh, Monsoon rains trigger landslides and floods as IMD issues alert for heavy rains.
In Women’s Cricket, India to take on hosts England in second T20 International at Bristol tonight.