THE HEADLINES ::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate first edition of SOUL Leadership Conclave at Bharat Mandapam today.
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says peace and stability in West Asian region is vital for world; Attends G20 Foreign Ministers Meet at Johannesburg in South Africa.
- Delhi government approves Ayushman Bharat scheme in its first cabinet meeting; Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assures CAG reports to be tabled in the first Assembly session.
- IMD forecasts heavy rain in North Eastern region today; Predicts snowfall over parts of Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- And in ICC Champions Trophy, India starts its campaign on a winning note; defeat Bangladesh by 6 wickets in Dubai.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first edition of the SOUL Leadership Conclave today at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Bhutan’s Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay will deliver the keynote address as the Guest of Honor. Our correspondent reports that the two-day SOUL Leadership Conclave will serve as a premier platform where leaders from diverse domains like politics, sports, arts and media, the spiritual world, public policy, business, and the social sector will share their inspiring life journeys.
The SOUL Leadership Conclave will foster an ecosystem of collaboration and thought leadership, facilitating learning from both failures and successes, to inspire young audiences. The School of Ultimate Leadership is an upcoming leadership institution in Gujarat designed to enable authentic leaders to advance the public good. The aim is to broaden the landscape of political leadership in India through formal training and to include those who rise through merit, commitment, and passion for public service, SOUL brings in insights, skills, and expertise necessary to navigate the complex challenges of leadership in today’s world. Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today. The inauguration will be held at 4:30 PM this evening. This comes as the government has granted Marathi classical language status.
The event will also include a symbolic literary train journey from Pune to Delhi, carrying 1200 participants to show the unifying spirit of literature. It will feature over 2600 poetry submissions, 50 book launches and 100 book stalls among others. The convention is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Marathi literature. With its return to Delhi, the convention is poised to inspire a new generation of literature enthusiasts and promote Marathi culture nationwide. Bhavana, Akashvani News, Mumbai
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Delhi government has decided to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said this while briefing media after chairing the first Cabinet meeting of the newly sworn in Delhi government yesterday. She said that Ayushman Bharat scheme, along with top-up of 5 lakh rupees from Delhi government, has been approved unanimously and it will be implemented at the earliest.
She also announced that 14 CAG reports will be tabled in the first sitting of the Assembly.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will hold the portfolios of departments of General Administration, Services, Finance, Revenue, Women and Child Development while Ashish Sood will be in charge of Home, Power, Urban Development and Education. Parvesh Verma will be in charge of PWD, irrigation and flood control. Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa has been allotted Food and Supplies, Forest and Environment and Industries whereas Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh will be in charge of Health and Family Welfare and Transport. Kapil Mishra has been given the charge of Law and Justice and Labour Department.
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The BJP has accused Congress party of hatching conspiracies and using foreign money to influence India’s elections. Briefing media in New Delhi yesterday, senior party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that US President Donald Trump’s latest remarks on USAID funding to India vindicated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim, during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign that foreign powers were trying to prevent him from coming to power.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump criticized the previous Joe Biden administration, accusing it of interfering in elections in India. Trump’s claim comes a day after he defended the Department of Governance Efficiency’s decision to cancel 21 million dollar fund for voter turnout in India.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said that peace and stability in the West Asian region is vital for the entire world. Speaking at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meet at Johannesburg in South Africa yesterday, Dr Jaishankar emphasised on the need for more plurilateralism to plug global deficits. He stressed that differences must not become disputes, disputes should not become conflicts, and conflicts should not lead to a bigger breakdown. The External Affairs Minister further stated that India welcomes the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release. He said that maintaining the ceasefire in Lebanon and ensuring an inclusive Syrian-led, Syrian-owned solution are important. Regarding the Ukraine conflict, Dr Jaishankar said that India has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy.
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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Johannesburg, South Africa. They reviewed the continued progress of India-Russia bilateral cooperation. The External Affairs Minister also called on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg.
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US President Donald Trump has appointed Kash Patel as the 9th Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which is America’s premier federal law enforcement agency. The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Mr Patel’s appointment last night.
A former federal defender and Chief of Staff at US Department of Defence, Kash Patel, will now serve as Director of FBI for the next 10 years.
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Now news from Mahakumbh
Prisoners lodged in different jails across Uttar Pradesh will be given the holy bath of Prayagraj Mahakumbh today inside their jail premises. The Uttar Pradesh government has started a new initiative under which, holy water from the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj will be brought to the prison complex. Our correspondents report this initiative will give the prisoners an opportunity to exercise their religious and cultural beliefs despite being locked-up:
“Water from the Triveni Sangam of Prayagraj will be brought in pitchers and poured into the ponds and tubs installed inside the jails. The bath with this water will be given to willing prisoners, in respect of their religious beliefs. Bathing and worship with Sangam water will be organized in all the jails of the state. At present, around 90 thousand prisoners are lodged in the jails of Uttar Pradesh. DIG Prison of Lucknow Range, Dr Ramdhani said that the objective of this scheme is to ensure that everyone can benefit from the holy occasion of Maha Kumbh, even if they are imprisoned. The innovative program will be launched today at the Adarsh Prison in Lucknow by the State Prison Minister Dara Singh Chauhan. He will be accompanied with Principal Secretary of Prison, Anil Garg and Prison Director General, PV Ramasastri. The authorities hope that with this initiative, the prisoners lodged in the jail will get spiritual peace and mental comfort. With Abhishek Kapil, Adarsh for Akashvani News, Prayagraj.”
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall as well as thunderstorms and lightning over North Eastern region today. The Met Department predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places of Arunachal Pradesh today. According to IMD, a cyclonic circulation lies over central Assam which is likely to cause light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms in the North Eastern region over the next few days.
The IMD also forecast light rainfall and snowfall over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand till tomorrow.
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In Himachal Pradesh the fresh snowfall in the high altitude areas and rain in lower parts has brought down the temperature. The change in weather has brought cheer to farmers and orchardists of the state. Apart from this, the tourists who have come here to visit are also enjoying the snowfall.
Meanwhile, the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH44), the only surface link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, was closed last evening due to snowfall in the Banihal-Qazigund section and slippery road conditions between Ramban and Banihal.
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In the ICC Champions Trophy, India has made a winning start, as they outclassed Bangladesh by 6 wickets in Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium last night.
“With Mohammad Shami’s 5-wicket haul and Shubman Gill’s resilient century, the Men in Blue registered an amazing victory in their opening clash of the ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma-led squad showcased brilliant all-round performance at Dubai with bowlers picking up wickets and batters scoring runs. Next we have from Women’s Premier League Cricket, where second leg will begin at Bengaluru as Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host Mumbai Indians at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium this evening. Moving towards FIH Hockey Pro League, Indian Women’s Team will be looking to turn their campaign around as they will take on Germany at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, this evening. Following this, the Indian Men’s Team will face Ireland at the same venue. Last we have from Indian Super League Football, where Jamshedpur FC defeated Mohammedan SC 2-nil in Kolkata last night. Ritwik Das and Nikhil Barla scored goals for the Men of Steel. Today, North East United FC will host Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong at 07:30 PM. CHIRAG JHA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
Rekha Gupta taking over as 9th Chief Minister of Delhi is front page news in most dailies today. A 6-member Council of Ministers was also sworn into office, writes The Hindu.
Hindustan Times quotes US President Trump as saying that the Biden administration meddled in Indian politics. “Centre likely to probe US funding amid charge of meddling in polls”, headlines The Tribune.
The Indian Express reports that the 21 million US dollars, claimed to be spent by the Biden administration, were for Bangladesh, not India.
The Indian embassy in Panama has confirmed that the Indian nationals deported by the US to Panama are safe and have been given consular access, reports The Asian Age.
Manipur government has offered 7-day amnesty to mobs that looted armouries, for returning these arms writes The Times of India.
And finally, a recent survey, quoted by The Statesman, has revealed that the salaried individuals across India allocate over 33% of their monthly income towards paying loan EMIs, highlighting the growing burden of credit-driven consumption.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate first edition of SOUL Leadership Conclave at Bharat Mandapam today.
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says peace and stability in West Asian region is vital for world; Attends G20 Foreign Ministers Meet at Johannesburg in South Africa.
- Delhi government approves Ayushman Bharat scheme in its first cabinet meeting; Chief Minister Rekha Gupta assures CAG reports to be tabled in the first Assembly session.
- IMD forecasts heavy rain in North Eastern region today; Predicts snowfall over parts of Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
- And in ICC Champions Trophy, India starts its campaign on a winning note; defeat Bangladesh by 6 wickets in Dubai.
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