THE HEADLINES:
- President Droupadi Murmu to launch three railway line projects in Odisha today.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address golden jubilee celebrations of BAPS volunteers in Ahmedabad this evening.
- Centre approves 944 crore rupees for Tamil Nadu as cyclone Fengal relief; Promises more funds after assessment report by central team.
- India to Chair UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs for the first time.
- India advises its nationals to avoid all travel to Syria amid escalating violence.
- India’s Forex Reserves rise by 1.51 billion dollars to 658.09 billion dollars.
- Junior Women’s Hockey Asia Cup to begin today in Muscat, Oman.
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President Droupadi Murmu will lay foundation stones of three new railway lines at Bangriposi in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha this morning.
“President Droupadi Murmu will lay the foundation stone of the 86-km Bangiriposi-Gorumahisani rail line today which will enhance connectivity within the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. The estimated construction cost of this project will be 2,549 crore rupees and it will facilitate the movement of passengers and freight, contributing to regional economic growth. The 82-km Badampahar-Kendujhargarh rail line will be constructed at an estimated cost of 2,106 crore rupees. The 60-km Buramara-Chakulia rail line will connect the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand and it will be built at an estimated cost of 1,639 crore rupees. The introduction of these rail lines will bring immense benefits to local residents who have long been deprived of efficient rail communication. The improved connectivity will open up new business opportunities and foster economic development in these regions. Additionally, the construction of the new lines is expected to create new job opportunities, especially in the industrial and transportation sectors, which will further boost the local economy. Moreover, with enhanced rail transport, residents will gain better access to medical and educational facilities, improving their quality of life. Prakash Dash, Akashvani News, Odisha.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually address the BAPS Karyakar Suvarna Mahotsav – the golden jubilee celebrations of BAPS volunteers this evening. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel along with the state Cabinet Ministers will also be present for the golden anniversary celebration at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Our correspondent reports that the event will felicitate the service of 1 lakh BAPS volunteers, from across the globe.
The year-long Karyakarta Suvarna Mahotsav has been organised to honour the service of the volunteers of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha BAPS. It was inaugurated by Mahant Swami Maharaj in Surat on January 28, 2024. The grand golden jubilee celebrations will conclude today at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. More than 1 lakh volunteers from 30 countries across the world will participate in the event. The Mahotsav will showcase the contributions and sacrifices of the volunteers through interactive immersive presentations, demonstrations, narrations and throwback videos. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.
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Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the release of 944.8 crore rupees to Tamil Nadu, from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) as relief assistance to people affected by cyclone Fengal. The ministry said that additional financial assistance from NDRF will be approved to the Fengal affected states after the assessment report by Inter-Ministerial Central Team is received. The central team has been sent to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for on-the-spot assessment of the damages caused by the cyclone. In a social media post, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Modi government stands shoulder to shoulder with sisters and brothers in Tamil Nadu during the challenging situation created by cyclone Fengal.
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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will visit Bihar today. He will attend the second convocation ceremony of Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) in Motihari in East Champaran district. The function has been organized at Gandhi Auditorium where the Vice President will confer medals and degrees to students this afternoon who have completed different UG, PG and PhD courses.
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Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will launch a 100-day intensified campaign from Panchkula in Haryana to address the challenges of tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality across the country. Chief Minister of Haryana Nayab Singh and Haryana’s Health Minister Arti Singh Rao will be present at the event.
The initiative will be implemented across 347 districts in 33 states and union territories. It aligns with the vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2018 Delhi End TB Summit. The 100-day campaign aims to improve programme performance on key output indicators such as TB incidence rates, diagnostic coverage, and mortality rates.
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A three-day special session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly will be held in Mumbai from today to enable newly elected MLAs to take oath and elect a speaker. Newly-elected MLAs will be sworn-in today and tomorrow. The speaker’s election will be held on Monday, followed by a trust vote of the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government.
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Madhya Pradesh’s hill station Pachmarhi has now become a new symbol of women empowerment and leadership. MP Tourism Corporation’s Hotel MPT Amaltas in Pachmarhi has become the first hotel in the state, which will be completely run by women. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav inaugurated it yesterday. State Tourism Minister Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi said that to make women self-reliant, training is being given not only in Hotel Amaltas but also in other projects.
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India has been chosen to Chair the 68th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna, Shambhu Kumaran officially assumed the Chairmanship of CND yesterday.
The CND is the principal policy-making body of the United Nations on drug-related matters. This is the first time that India has been named to Chair this important UN body. This reinforces India’s growing leadership role on the global stage and its commitment to addressing international issues through established multilateral mechanisms.
As Chair, India will be expected to articulate interests of the Global South in line with its role in promoting interests and perspectives of developing nations in global discussions.
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Indian nationals have been advised to avoid all travel to Syria until further notification in view of prevailing situation in the West Asian nation. In an advisory, External Affairs Ministry has asked Indians currently in Syria to remain in touch with Indian Embassy in Damascus for updates. The Embassy’s emergency helpline number is +96 3993385973 and email ID is hoc.damascus@mea.gov.in.
Those who can leave have been advised to leave by the earliest available commercial flights. Others have been requested to observe utmost precaution about their safety and restrict their movements to the minimum.
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will participate in the Doha Forum in Qatar today. This is the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum on the theme “The Innovation Imperative.” Tomorrow, the External Affairs Minister will travel to Bahrain, where he will co-chair the 4th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission with his counterpart Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. This Ministerial Meeting will review the entire gamut of the bilateral relations and discuss avenues to further strengthen the multifaceted ties between India and Bahrain.
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India’s foreign exchange (FOREX) reserves increased by 1.51 billion dollars reaching a total of 658.09 billion dollars in the week ending November 29. This marks the first rise in nine weeks, recovering from a five-month low. The latest rise is mainly due to a 2.06 billion dollars increase in foreign currency assets, which now stand at 568.85 billion dollars. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) increased by 22 million dollars to 18.01 billion dollars. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das stressed the importance of these reserves, saying, Forex reserves are deployed judiciously to mitigate undue volatility, maintain market confidence, anchor expectations, and preserve overall financial stability. He said that the reserve levels remain quite robust.
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In Nepal, the week-long Bibaha Panchami festival will conclude today after bidding farewell to the marriage procession amidst Ramkaleka rituals.
The Hindu wedding ceremony of Ram and Sita was reenacted last night at the Janaki Mandir, after the Sitaram Vivah Panchami was celebrated yesterday with lakhs of devotees visiting Janakpurdham in the Terai. Visitors from Ayodhya came to Janakpur to attend the Ram Janaki marriage ceremony. There are around 500 participants, including Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust’s General Secretary Champat Raya and Ayodhya Town Corporation Chief Girishpati Tripathi, several saints, religious leaders and high-ranking officials from India. The festival is strengthening people’s connection between India and Nepal and the celebration is shared cultural heritage.
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In Jammu and Kashmir, School Education Department has announced the schedule for winter vacations for all government and recognized private schools up to the higher secondary level in Kashmir Division and the winter zones of Jammu Division. According to a government order, the winter break for classes up to 5th will be from December 10 to February 28. For Classes 6th to 12th, the winter break will be from December 16 to February 28.
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Moving on to the world of sports, Junior Women’s Hockey Asia Cup will kick off in Muscat, Oman today, with ten teams participating in the continental showpiece. A report from our correspondent:
“In the Junior Women’s Hockey Asia Cup, India will compete in Pool A along with China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Bangladesh, while Pool B will feature South Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka. The Indian team, led by Jyoti Singh, will open their campaign against Bangladesh tomorrow. The top five teams from the competition will qualify for next year’s World Cup.
Meanwhile in Cricket, the second Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is underway at Adelaide Oval. Australia will resume their first innings on Day 2 at an overnight score of 86 for 1 against India this morning. The hosts are currently trailing by 94 runs.
In another Cricket update, in the Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup ODI, India stormed into the final after securing a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the semi-final match played yesterday. They will now face defending champions Bangladesh in the final tomorrow.
And finally in Badminton, India’s rising women’s singles star Anmol Kharb defeated defending champion Lalinrat Chaiwan of Thailand in the quarter-finals of the Guwahati Masters yesterday. She will now face compatriot Mansi Singh in the semi-finals. MANIK SHARMA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- The Hindu Businessline leads with the headline, “RBI holds key rate to ‘bring down inflation in the interest of growth’.” Financial Express headline reads, “Das walks the talk.”
- India and China have held the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs to examine ways to stop repeat of 2020 violent incidents, reports The Pioneer.
- India’s Foreign secretary to visit Bangladesh on Monday amid strain in ties, writes Hindustan Times.
- And finally, under the headline “Central school push: 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas, 13 in J&K; 28 Navodayas, N-E focus” The Indian Express reports that the Union Cabinet has approved Rs. 8,231 crore for what may be the largest expansion of central schools in a decade.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- President Droupadi Murmu to launch three railway line projects in Odisha today.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address golden jubilee celebrations of BAPS volunteers in Ahmedabad this evening.
- Centre approves 944 crore rupees for Tamil Nadu as cyclone Fengal relief; Promises more funds after assessment report by central team.
- India to Chair UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs for the first time.
- India advises its nationals to avoid all travel to Syria amid escalating violence.
- India’s Forex Reserves rise by 1.51 billion dollars to 658.09 billion dollars.
- Junior Women’s Hockey Asia Cup to begin today in Muscat, Oman.
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