THE HEADLINES:
- Stalemate continues in Parliament over Bihar’s electoral roll and other issues; Lok Sabha to take up discussion on Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s Space Mission today.
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to hold bilateral talks with visiting Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in New Delhi this evening.
- Centre to take strict action against companies involved in manufacturing of fake pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds.
- IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, Gujarat, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha today; Flash flood warning in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir in coming days.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders set to meet US President Trump in Washington today to resolve war in Ukraine.
- And, Freestyle wrestler Vishal to compete for bronze at Under-20 World Championships in Bulgaria today.
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Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2:00 PM following opposition’s uproar over various issues. When the Rajya Sabha assembled at 11:00 AM, the House paid tributes to La Ganesan, a former member of the House, who died on the 15th of this month at the age of 80. After that Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he had received 19 adjournment notices from different political parties, of which some are related to matters on Special Intensive Revision of electoral roll in Bihar, which is sub-judice. He rejected all the notices citing rules. As the pandemonium continued, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the House till 2:00 PM.
Similar scenes were witnessed in the Lok Sabha also. When the Lower House assembled after the first adjournment at 12:00 noon, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025. The bill intends to amend certain enactments for decriminalising and rationalising offences to further enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and doing business. Later the House approved the motion to refer the Bill to the Select Committee of the House for further scrutiny.
The Committee will make a report by the first day of the next session. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Indian Institutes of (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Bill will further amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017.
These Bills were introduced amid the noisy scene created by the opposition members who were protesting over the issue of SIR in Bihar. Amid the ruckus, presiding officer Sandhya Ray adjourned the House till 2:00 PM.
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A special discussion will be held in the Lok Sabha today on India’s first astronaut, Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the International Space Station, focusing on the critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, captain Shukla has returned home after a successful mission to the International Space Station.
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Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary has said, the government has a zero tolerance policy on student safety in schools. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha today, Mr Chaudhary said, guidelines are issued from time to time to states and Union Territories, and school boards for the safety of students. He said, recently the Union Education Ministry has written a letter to States and UTs to ensure student safety and their well-being.
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Chinese Foreign Minister and Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi will be on a two day visit to India beginning today. He is visiting India at the invitation of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During the visit, the Chinese Foreign Minister will hold the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ Talks on the India-China boundary question with India’s Special Representative Mr Doval. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart today.
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Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said, strict action will be taken against companies involved in manufacturing fake pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds. Mr. Chouhan visited Madhya Pradesh to assess the damage caused to soybean crops due to the spraying of spurious chemicals. Here is a report:
“Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had received complaints about soybean crops being damaged due to counterfeit weedicide. Following this, Mr. Chouhan visited the affected fields in Raisen and Vidisha districts to inspect the damage. He said that a campaign will be launched against such companies.
Acting on Mr. Chouhan’s directions, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has immediately constituted an inquiry committee. The committee is visiting the fields today to assess the extent of crop damage. Vipin Mishra, Akashvani News, Bhopal.”
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In Chhattisgarh, one security personnel was killed and three jawans injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in Bijapur district of Bastar division today. The blast occurred in the National Park area when a team of the District Reserve Guard was on an anti-Naxal operation. The injured personnel are stated to be out of danger.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Chhattisgarh, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka, Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Odisha, South Interior Karnataka, and Telangana today. The weather agency predicted heavy rainfall to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and East Rajasthan during the next 7 days. According to the IMD, light to very light rainfall conditions are expected with cloudy sky in Delhi today.
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Heavy rains pounded Mumbai this morning, disrupting traffic and delaying local trains, with the IMD extending its red alert till tomorrow. Mumbai’s lakes are now 90 per cent full, easing water supply concerns Mumbai is witnessing another spell of heavy monsoon showers, with intense rain lashing Andheri, Ghatkopar, Navi Mumbai and parts of South Mumbai. More from our correspondent:-
“As heavy rainfall continues to impact the city and traffic snarls disrupt daily life, air services too have been affected on Monday. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport issued an advisory urging passengers to check flight status before travelling and to leave earlier to avoid traffic congestion. Today, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has directed schools and colleges in Mumbai to remain closed due to a red alert. Bhavana, AKASHVANI NEWS, Mumbai.”
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News just in, The Lok Sabha has taken up a special discussion on India’s first astronaut, Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, aboard the International Space Station, focusing on the critical role of the space programme for Viksit Bharat by 2047. Minister of State for Space Dr Jitendra Singh began the discussion. We cut across live to Parliament
The Rajya Sabha has taken up Indian Ports Bill 2025 for discussion and passage.
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In Odisha, many districts of the state are experiencing very heavy rainfall with some areas seeing extremely heavy rainfall due to the low-pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal near the coasts of northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha. The Met Department has issued a red alert for southern districts of the state for today. More from our correspondent:
“Southern district of Odisha, Malkangiri, is experiencing relentless downpour since this morning following which NH-326 and the surrounding bridges have submerged, disrupting connectivity. The Indian Meteorological Department has said that the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to move northwest and intensify into a depression within the next 24 hours. Following this, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh, Sonepur, Balangir, Khordha and Nuapada districts are expected to get heavy rain. Thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds are also possible in many parts of Odisha. Prakash Dash, Akashvani, Bhubaneswar.”
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A low-pressure area has formed over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, impacting the north coast of Andhra Pradesh and adjacent areas of south Odisha. More from our correspondent:-
“It is anticipated that the system will further intensify into a depression in the next 24 hours, with expectations of crossing the south Odisha-north Andhra coasts by the afternoon of tomorrow. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Amaravati Centre has issued a Red Alert for several North Coastal Andhra Pradesh districts on Monday, forecasting very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places. Prediction is that Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalle, Kakinada, East Godavari, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema, Eluru, West Godavari, NTR, and Guntur districts are likely to experience extremely heavy rainfall. Henry, Akashvani News, Vijayawada.”
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In Jammu and Kashmir, the Meteorological Department has issued a weather advisory warning of heavy rainfall and possible flash floods in several districts over the coming days. Light to moderate rain is expected across most areas till tomorrow, with heavy showers likely in Jammu, Reasi, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba, and Kathua. Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and parts of Kashmir may also see heavy rain with gusty winds.
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US President Donald Trump turned the pressure on his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky suggesting that he should give up claim to some territories occupied by Russia. Zelensky is set to meet Trump at the Oval Office today with a group of European leaders. Yesterday, Trump reiterated in a post on Truth Social that President Zelensky can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.
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Freestyle wrestler Vishal will compete for a bronze medal at the Under-20 World Championships in Bulgaria. Despite a valiant effort, the 20-year-old lost 9-11 to Magomedgadzhi Magomedov, who was playing under the United World Wrestling flag. Vishal will now take on a yet-to-be-confirmed grappler in the bronze-medal bout.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Stalemate continues in Parliament over Bihar’s electoral roll and other issues; Lok Sabha takes up discussion on Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s Space Mission.
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to hold bilateral talks with visiting Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in New Delhi this evening.
- Centre to take strict action against companies involved in manufacturing of fake pesticides, fertilizers, and seeds.
- IMD forecasts heavy to very heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, Gujarat, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha today; Flash flood warning in several districts of Jammu and Kashmir in coming days.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders set to meet US President Trump in Washington today to resolve war in Ukraine.
- And, Freestyle wrestler Vishal to compete for bronze at Under-20 World Championships in Bulgaria today.
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