THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today.
- Prime Minister to interact with 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon, Maharashtra today.
- Government employees welcome Unified Pension Scheme, providing assured pension to them.
- Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira to arrive in New Delhi today on a four-day visit to India.
- Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX.
- And, Tanvi Patri storms into Under-15 girls singles final at Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 junior championships in Chengdu, China.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people of the country and abroad in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today. It will be the 113th episode of the monthly radio programme.
The programme will be broadcast on the entire network of Akashvani and Doordarshan, AIR News website and newsonair mobile app. It will also be live streamed on the YouTube channels of the AIR News, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Akashwani will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jalgaon in Maharashtra and Jodhpur in Rajasthan today. In the morning, Mr. Modi will visit Jalgaon, to participate in the Lakhpati Didi Sammelan. He will give certificates and felicitate 11 lakh new Lakhpati Didis, who recently became Lakhpati during the third term of the NDA Government. More from our correspondent:-
“Apart from distributing certificates to new Lakhpati Didis here in Jalgaon, Prime Minister will also interact with Lakhpati Didis, who are earning more than 1 lakh rupees per annum. These Lakhpati Didis, whose number is above 1 crore in the nation now have not only pulled their families out of poverty but have also become a role model for the rest of the society. During the program, the Prime Minister will release a revolving fund – Community Investment Fund of Rs 2 thousand 500 crores, which will benefit about 48 lakh members of 4 lakh 3 thousand Self Help Groups (SHGs). The Prime Minister will also release a bank loan of Rs 5 thousand crores, which will benefit 25 lakh 8 thousand members of more than 2 lakh 35 thousand Self Help Groups.Prarthna, Akashvani News, Jalgaon.”
In the evening, Prime Minister Modi will reach Jodhpur in Rajasthan. He will be the Chief Guest at the concluding ceremony of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Rajasthan High Court. Mr. Modi will also inaugurate the Rajasthan High Court Museum.
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Government employees have welcomed Union Cabinet’s decision to approve Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), providing assured pensions to them. They also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meeting with them on the issue. Shiv Gopal Mishra, Secretary of the Joint Consultative Machinery (JCM), a joint forum of government employees’ organisations, said they were invited by the Prime Minister for the meeting. He said, this was for the first time that JCM was invited by the Prime Minister.
Union Cabinet approved the Unified Pension Scheme for government employees yesterday. Addressing the media after Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the first pillar of the scheme ensures 50 percent of the average basic pay drawn over the last twelve months prior to superannuation for a minimum qualifying service of 25 years.
The second pillar guarantees that 60 percent of the pension is assured for the family after the employee’s demise. There will be assured minimum pension at least 10 thousand rupees per month on superannuation after minimum 10 years of service. There is Inflation indexation on assured pension, on assured family pension and assured minimum pension.
Mr. Vaishnaw said that the Cabinet also approved the Bio E3-Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment policy to foster high-performance biomanufacturing. Mr Vaishnaw said that the policy will provide innovation-driven support to research and development and entrepreneurship across thematic sectors.
The Cabinet also approved the continuation of three umbrella schemes, which have been merged into a unified central sector scheme named Vigyan Dhara, with an outlay of 10,579 crore rupees.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded government employees for their contribution in the nation’s progress. After the cabinet’s decision on the Unified Pension Scheme, the Prime Minister in a social media post said that this Scheme ensures dignity and financial security for government employees. He added that the scheme aligned with the government’s commitment to their well-being and a secure future. Prime Minister also highlighted the cabinet’s decision on Vigyan Dhara, stating that it will encourage innovation and scientific research among young minds. On approval of the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy, Mr Modi said this decision is a landmark initiative that will foster High-Performance Bio-manufacturing.
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In Tripura, an all-party meeting to discuss the flood situation was held yesterday in Agartala under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha. Leaders from across party lines attended the meeting and deliberated on measures to provide relief to those affected by the floods. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said that, according to preliminary estimates, the state has suffered losses amounting to 15,000 crore rupees. We have this report:-
“Setting aside their political differences leaders cutting across the party lines joined hands to provide relief to the distressed citizens of the state affected due to floods. One of the important takeaways of the meeting was the direction by the chief minister to schools to provide free books to students who were affected due to floods. With the fear of outbreak of water borne diseases looming large due to contamination of water and sanitation, the chief minister said bleaching powders will be sprayed at the shelter homes, flood affected houses and schools. Kunal Shinde Akashvani News, Agartala.”
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In Jammu and Kashmir, the first Randomization of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) units for the upcoming Assembly Elections in Jammu District was successfully completed yesterday. Our Jammu correspondent reports that the randomization process was held in the presence of Returning Officers and representatives from various political parties and was executed digitally, much to the satisfaction of all political representatives present.
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Foreign Affairs Minister of Brazil, Mauro Vieira, will arrive in New Delhi today on a four-day visit to India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Mr. Vieira will co-chair the 9th India-Brazil Joint Commission Meeting on Tuesday. The Ministry of External Affairs said that, with Brazil holding the G20 Presidency this year, the ministers will also discuss how the two countries, as Troika, can advance key G20 outcomes from the Indian Presidency last year.
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The second round of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable will be held in Singapore tomorrow. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Railways, IT, Information, and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will participate in the roundtable. During the visit, the ministers will interact with their counterparts and will also call on Singaporean leadership.
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Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. They were originally on an eight-day mission but will now spend around eight months in orbit due to issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA announced that the Starliner will return to Earth without crew. The spacecraft faced problems, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters, during its journey to the International Space Station. Boeing and SpaceX were awarded billion-dollar contracts by NASA for commercial space flights.
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Eminent sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan performed at an event organized as part of the Azadi Sangeet Sammelan at Rang Bhawan in Akashvani premises in New Delhi yesterday.
Former Union Minister Smriti Irani and Director General of Akashvani, Maushumi Chakravarty, attended the event, among others. Akashvani honored Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his family at the event. He is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the UNESCO Award, and many other national and international honours.
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India’s top junior badminton player, Tanvi Patri, stormed into the Under-15 girls’ singles final at the Asia Under-17 and Under-15 junior championships in Chengdu, China yesterday. Patri, the top seed in the girl’s U-15 category, overcame Thailand’s sixth seed, Kungkaew Kakanik, with a score of 21-19, 21-10. She will now face Vietnam’s second seed, Nguyen Thi Thu Huygen, who won her semifinal against China’s Liu Yu Tong.
In the U-17 boys’ singles, Gnana Dattu TT lost to Indonesia’s Radithya Bayu Wardhana with scores of 9-21, 21-13, 21-13, and will return home with a bronze medal.
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India secured its first-ever surfing spots for the Asian Games, with both men’s and women’s teams qualifying at the Asian Surfing Championships 2024 in the Maldives yesterday. With this Indian surfers will compete at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The quotas were earned based on the ranking points from the championships, which also serve as qualifiers for the Asian Games. Eight Indian surfers competed across four categories.
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat Region, Saurashtra and Kutch today. Very heavy rainfall is also likely over Assam and Meghalaya today.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE
- Most Newspapers today lead with the approval of the Unified Pension Scheme by the Union Cabinet. ” Increasing its share, Centre rolls out new plan, guarantees 50 per cent of basic salary as pension. ” The Hindustan Times leads with ” New Pension scheme to benefit central government staff “.
- “US to sell $52 million anti-submarine system to India, informs the Asian Age.
- The Statesman on its sports page takes note of a historic feat ” India scripts history by securing first- ever Asian Games quotas in surfing.”
- The Financial Express talks of emergence of a new sub-segment within the Indian passenger vehicle space “Midsize SUVs on a roll, ride on the back of ‘family-first customers.”
- And finally, Under the caption ‘Targeting Directorship’, The Economic Times headline reads “Mission Boardroom: Women Take New Course of Action” more executives are taking up programmmes to get ‘board-ready’.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on Akashvani at 11 AM today.
- Prime Minister to interact with 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis in Jalgaon, Maharashtra today.
- Government employees welcome Unified Pension Scheme, providing assured pension to them.
- Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira to arrive in New Delhi today on a four-day visit to India.
- Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore to return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX.
- And, Tanvi Patri storms into Under-15 girls singles final at Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 junior championships in Chengdu, China.
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