THE HEADLINES:
- Election Commission to announce schedule for Bihar Assembly Elections, this afternoon.
- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurates first phase of the Patna Metro Rail Service; Also transfers ten thousand rupees each to 21 lakh women under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana.
- Curfew imposed in Odisha’s Cuttack following violent clashes during Durga puja procession.
- Rajasthan government constitutes six-member high-level committee to probe fire incident at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur which claimed six lives.
- And in World Para Athletics Championship, India wraps up its campaign with 22 medals, including 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 7 Bronze.
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The Election Commission will announce the schedule of Bihar Assembly Elections this afternoon in New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi will brief the media on the poll dates. The term of the 243 members of the Bihar Assembly will end on the 22nd of next month. We have a report:
With the announcement of the election schedule, the Model Code of Conduct will come into effect. The announcement comes just a day after the Election Commission’s delegation concluded its review of poll preparedness in Bihar. During the visit, the team met representatives of major political parties and assessed the state’s logistical arrangements.
This year’s elections are expected to be a high-stakes contest between the ruling alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United), and the opposition coalition Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which is positioning itself as an alternative political force, is also expected to make the contest more interesting.
In the previous Assembly elections held in 2020, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a majority with 125 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan won 110. The RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. With Bhupendra’s report, Aishwarya Rai Nigam for Akashvani News, Delhi.
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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today inaugurated the first phase of the Patna Metro Rail Service today. After a wait of six years, the much-awaited metro service in Patna has finally become a reality. The construction of the project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019. More from our correspondent:
With the launch of the state’s first metro rail service, the wait for the people of Patna ended today. Under the Patna Metro Rail Service, the first train was operated today on the elevated section of the Priority Corridor between the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) and Bhootnath Station. Train services between other stations will commence in subsequent phases, with work progressing rapidly. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off the metro rail service and traveled from ISBT Station to Bhootnath Station. The corridor launched today is 3.5 kilometers long and will be expanded in the future. The general public will be able to enjoy the metro ride from tomorrow. Dharmendra Kumar Rai, Akashvani News, Patna.
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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also transferred ten thousand rupees each to 21 lakh women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana through Direct Benefit Transfer. This is the third phase of fund transfer to the beneficiaries under the scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the scheme on September the 26th through video conferencing from New Delhi. More than 1.1 crore women beneficiaries have been selected for the scheme in Bihar.
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Curfew has been imposed in Cuttack, Odisha till tomorrow morning following violent clashes during a Durga puja idol immersion procession. Internet services have also been suspended and stringent restrictions have been imposed in the city to restore law and order. Speaking to the media, Additional Police Commissioner Narasingha Bhola said that except for emergency services such as hospitals, grocery shops, and petrol pumps, all other commercial establishments will remain closed during the curfew.
The violence took place on Friday night when some locals objected to loud music during an immersion procession. Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi has appealed to the people of Cuttack to restore peace and harmony.
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A six-member high-level committee, chaired by the Commissioner of Medical Education, has been constituted to probe the fire incident at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in Jaipur, which claimed six lives. The blaze broke out in the Trauma ICU on the second floor last night, where eleven patients were admitted. Trauma Centre In-charge, Dr. Anurag Dhakad, said the fire was caused by a short circuit and spread rapidly, releasing toxic gases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief at the loss of lives in the tragedy. In a social media post, Mr. Modi said he was deeply saddened by the incident and extended his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma assured the injured of proper treatment and care. Sharing a post on X after visiting the SMS Hospital, the Chief Minister said the situation is being monitored continuously.
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GST Bachat Utsav, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and commenced on the 22nd of last month, is benefiting all sections of society. Today, our correspondent brings a report on the GST reforms that will expand opportunities for Bihar.
The new GST reforms are poised to give a boost to Bihar in various sectors including agriculture, food processing, dairy and handloom. The reforms will also benefit farmers by reducing the cost of fertilizers, micronutrients and machinery. Bihar will also see a push to its rail hubs, AYUSH products and honey clusters. Agriculture is the backbone of Bihar and employs nearly half of its workforce. GST on Makhana-based snacks has been reduced to 5 percent from the earlier 12 percent. Also, due to reduction of taxes on juices, jams and pickles from 12 to 5 percent, Muzaffarpur’s GI-tagged Shahi Litchi will see savings of 6 to 7 percent. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises that provide a variety of processed foods will get a boost with reduction of taxes on biscuits, namkeens and sauces. Similarly, the tax cut on the dairy sector is expected to ease working capital pressures on dairies and strengthen cooperative networks. Handicrafts, including Bhagalpuri Silk, Madhubani Paintings, and Sujini embroidered products are expected to become affordable. Also, the GST reduction on tractors, pumps and irrigation equipment to 5 percent will encourage wider adoption of modern tools, boost agricultural productivity, and strengthen farmer incomes. Along with this, Bihar’s role in Indian Railways’ freight and passenger ecosystem will improve as the cost of consumables in packaging and shop-floor operations are expected to fall with lowering taxes on technical textiles, cartons, boxes and adhesives. By lowering tax rates, the changes are expected to ease the burden on consumers, support rural livelihoods, strengthen MSMEs, and enhance competitiveness in exports. The impact will be visible across agriculture, handlooms, handicrafts, dairy, fertilisers, rail manufacturing, bamboo and cane crafts, and emerging areas such as AYUSH and honey. with Rishu Bhanu Pratap Singh, Akashvani News, Delhi.
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President Droupadi Murmu today presented the MY Bharat – National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for the year 2022-2023 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She presented 40 awards to NSS Units and their Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports confers the National Service Scheme Award every year to recognize the exceptional contributions of NSS volunteers, units, and program officers in community service and nation-building.
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In Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-affected Bastar division, the Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF, has distributed over ten thousand radio sets among villagers in recent days. These radio sets have been provided across all seven districts of the Bastar division. Here is a report from our Raipur Correspondent, Vikalp Shukla –
“Over the past few months, incidents of Maoist violence have significantly declined in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. Along with combating Left wing extremism, the Central Armed Police Forces are also making continuous efforts to win the trust of local villagers. As part of this outreach, the CRPF has distributed more than ten thousand radio sets to residents of various districts in the Bastar division. In this region of dense forests and challenging terrain, radio serves as an effective means of communication. Not only keeps people informed about government welfare schemes, programmes, and decisions, but also helps prevent them from being misled by Maoist propaganda. It is noteworthy that Akashvani News is the only news medium broadcasting news and current affairs programmes in tribal dialects – Gondi and Halbi – for listeners in the Bastar division. Vikalp Shukla, Akashvani News, Raipur.”
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The Supreme Court has sought response from the Centre and Union Territory of Ladakh on a plea filed by Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo. She has challenged Sonam Wangchuk’s detention under the National Security Act, seeking his immediate release.
However, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria refused to pass any order on providing grounds of detention to Wangchuk’s wife. The next hearing will be held on the 14th of this month.
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India and the European Union will begin the 14th round of negotiations in Brussels today to finalize the Free Trade Agreement. The fresh round of talks between senior officials will extend over a period of five days. This will be followed up by another meeting between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic in South Africa on the sidelines of the G20 trade commissioners’ summit.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has called for a pause in Israel’s offensive ahead of indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, set to begin today in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The negotiations will center on Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, which has been largely accepted by both sides.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Jammu Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi NCR today. Delhi and adjoining areas are also likely to experience hailstorm conditions today. Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, IMD senior scientist Dr. R. K. Jenamani said that from tomorrow there will be a substantial reduction in rainfall activity over the National Capital.
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The Season’s first snowfall occurred in the higher reaches of Kashmir Valley today. According to the Meteorological Department, the season’s first snowfall occurred in Gulmarg hill station, Zojila Pass, Razdan Pass, Pit Ki Gali and other higher reaches of the Valley.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, were trading over 0.7 per cent higher in afternoon trade today. The Sensex added 615 points to 81 thousand 821, while Nifty gained 185 points to 25 thousand 79, when reports last came in.
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In World Para Athletics Championships, India wrapped up its campaign with 22 medals, which include 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 7 Bronze. Seven Indians were in action on the final day at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Election Commission to announce schedule for Bihar Assembly Elections, this afternoon.
- Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurates first phase of the Patna Metro Rail Service; Also transfers ten thousand rupees each to 21 lakh women under Mukhyamantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana.
- Curfew imposed in Odisha’s Cuttack following violent clashes during Durga puja procession.
- Rajasthan government constitutes six-member high-level committee to probe fire incident at Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur which claimed six lives.
- And in World Para Athletics Championship, India wraps up its campaign with 22 medals, including 6 Gold, 9 Silver and 7 Bronze.
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