THE HEADLINES::
- President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University in Gorakhpur this morning.
- Railways rationalises basic fare for passenger train services from today.
- IMD forecasts above normal rainfall in July across India.
- US, India, Japan and Australia launch historic ‘QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission’ to enhance maritime security in Indo-Pacific region.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in Washington DC this evening.
- And, ten lakh footballs to be distributed to schools across India to nurture strong sporting culture among students.
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President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh today. State Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present on the occasion.
“On the second day of the President’s visit to Uttar Pradesh, the state’s first AYUSH University, named after Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath, will be inaugurated in Gorakhpur. It will be an important center for both education and treatment in traditional systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy. More than an academic institution, the university will open new avenues of employment and promote commercial cultivation of medicinal plants in the region. The foundation stone of this university was laid on August 28, 2021 by the then President Ram Nath Kovind. Spread over 52 acres, the university has been developed with a sanctioned budget of more than Rs 267 crore. After inauguration of the university, the President will also visit the Gorakhnath temple. Apart from that, President Murmu will inaugurate the academic block, auditorium, and Panchkarma Center and lay the foundation stone of the girl’s hostel at the Arogyadham campus of Mahayogi Gorakhnath University in Sonbarsa. Tight security arrangements have been made in Gorakhpur in view of the president’s visit.Om Awasthi, Akashvani News, Lucknow .”
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Ministry of Railways has rationalised the basic fare of passenger train services to be effective from today. The train fares will be increased marginally for non-AC Mail and Express trains by one paise per kilometer and for AC classes by two paise per kilometer. The Ministry has said that there will be no increase in suburban single journey fares and monthly season tickets. The Ministry said that reservation fees, superfast surcharges and other charges will remain unchanged. It highlighted that the move is aimed at streamlining fare structures and enhancing financial sustainability of passenger services.
“The passenger fare for second class travel will remain unchanged upto 500 kilometers and for distances beyond that, there is an increase by half a paisa per kilometer. Passengers will now have to pay five rupees more for distances ranging from 501 to 1500 kilometers, 10 rupees extra for distances between 1501 to 2500 kilometers and 15 rupees extra for distances between 2501 and 3000 kilometers. The passengers for ordinary sleeper class and first class will also have to pay half a paisa more per kilometer. This fare revision also applies to premier and special train services such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Duronto, Vande Bharat and Tejas. The revised fares will come in effect for tickets booked on or after 1st of July, while tickets issued before this date will remain valid at the existing fare without any fare adjustment. With Anand Kumar, AKSHIT VADIYAN for Akashvani News, Delhi. “
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In Delhi, Petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years will not get fuel from today. The Delhi government had issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to enforce the ban on refuelling end-of-life vehicles and mandating petrol pumps to maintain a log of all denied fuel transactions involving such vehicles. The SOP stated that Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles will not be denied fuel at stations.
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The prices of 19kg commercial LPG cylinders dropped today by 58 rupees 50 paise in Delhi. The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) announced that the retail price of a commercial LPG gas cylinder is now 1 thousand 665 rupees in Delhi. Meanwhile, the commercial LPG price has dropped by 57 rupees in Kolkata, 58 rupees in Mumbai and 57 rupees 50 paise in Chennai. There is no change in the prices of domestic cylinders.
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the monthly average rainfall in the country as a whole during the month of July, 2025 is most likely to be above normal exceeding 106 percent of the Long Period Average (LPA). Addressing a press conference, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that most parts of the country are likely to experience normal to above-normal rainfall.
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Normal life has been severely affected in Himachal Pradesh due to the active phase of the southwest monsoon. Incidents of cloudbursts, landslides, waterlogging, and heavy rainfall have disrupted daily life across several districts of the State. Rivers and streams are in spate. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Centre in Shimla has issued a heavy rainfall alert for most parts of the state until July 6. The department has urged local administrations to remain on alert and appealed to the public to exercise caution.
“ State Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh stated that 390 roads across the state have been blocked due to landslides. Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear them, and traffic is expected to be restored on all affected roads within the next three days and restoration efforts are underway.
Meanwhile, a landslide monitoring report issued by the State Emergency Operation Centre has identified 22 landslide-prone locations across the state. Of these, 17 sites have been classified as “high risk,” while the Sandhol area has been declared the most vulnerable zone with an “extremely high risk” level. Dharamshala, the district headquarters of Kangra, and Jatogh in Shimla district have also been included in the high-risk category. Monitoring teams have been actively deployed by the government at sensitive locations.
Meanwhile, the government has appealed to the public to avoid travel to vulnerable areas and strictly follow the instructions issued by the local administration. RITESH KAPOOR, AKASHVANI NEWS, SHIMLA.”
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In a landmark initiative to bolster maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guards of India, Japan, United States, and Australia have launched the first-ever ‘QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission.
“The cross-embarkation mission, conducted under the Wilmington Declaration, sees two officers-including women officers-from each nation aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Stratton, currently en route to Guam. This pioneering mission marks a significant step in operational coordination among QUAD members, aimed at boosting joint readiness, domain awareness, and interoperability in the region. It aligns with the vision articulated at the QUAD Leaders’ Summit in September 2024 and reinforces the commitment to a Free, Open, Inclusive, and Rules-Based Indo-Pacific. India’s involvement underlines its strategic SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and supports its broader Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), focusing on capacity-building, humanitarian efforts, and upholding maritime law. The ‘QUAD at Sea’ initiative lays the groundwork for a future ‘QUAD Coast Guard Handshake,’ reflecting growing trust and shared resolve to address evolving maritime challenges collaboratively. ASHISH ABRAHAM, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI .”
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External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington DC, United States today.
“In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the Quad Foreign Ministers will build upon the discussions held during the last meeting of the Foreign Ministers, which took place in Washington on January 21 this year. They will exchange views on regional and global developments, particularly those concerning the Indo-Pacific, and review the progress made on various Quad initiatives in the run-up to the Quad Leaders’ Summit, which will be hosted by India. The statement said, the Ministers are also expected to deliberate on new proposals aimed at advancing the shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will host the meeting, which will also be attended by Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi. WITH SANYUKTA YADAV, AISHWARYA RAI NIGAM, AKASHVANI, DELHI.”
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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere. He pointed out that any state sponsorship must be exposed and must be condemned. Dr. Jaishankar was speaking at the inauguration of an exhibition on ‘The Human Cost of Terrorism’ at the UN Headquarters in New York last night.
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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that private investment is a catalytic force for unlocking capital, boosting productivity, fostering innovation and introducing technological rigour. She said, all of these are essential for inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The Finance Minister stated this in her address at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) organised by the United Nations in Seville, Spain.
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About 10 lakh footballs will be distributed to schools across the country to boost participation in football and nurture a strong sporting culture among the students.
“Approximately 10 lakh footballs will be distributed to schools across the country. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while expressing his personal love for the sport, emphasized that even a single football in a small school can inspire children to engage with the game and develop a genuine passion for playing.
On to Cricket, India will take on England in the second of the five-match series of women’s T20 International in Bristol, today. Earlier, India defeated England by 97 runs in the first match of the series to take a 1- nil lead.
In badminton, the Canada Open 2025 will kick off in Ontario today. Leading the charge in men’s singles is Ayush Shetty, riding high after clinching his maiden World Tour title at the US Open 2025. On the women’s singles side, Tanya Hemanth and Shriyanshi Valishetty, and Ira Sharma will take the lead. India’s best medal hopes arguably lie in mixed doubles, where Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto are the top seeds.
And In Tennis, Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated Italian Fabio Fognini in an intense five-set thriller to reach the men’s singles second round of the Wimbledon Open. WITH SANYUKTA’S REPORT MANIK SHARMA, NEWS DESK.
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The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has launched the WAVEX Startup Challenge 2025 under its flagship startup accelerator program, WaveX. Startups across the country can participate in a national hackathon to develop an AI-powered multilingual translation solution. According to the Ministry, the challenge, titled ‘BhashaSetu – Real-Time Language Tech for Bharat’, aims to encourage the development of innovative artificial intelligence tools capable of real-time translation, transliteration, and voice localization across at least 12 major Indian languages.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- With the US reciprocal tariffs pause set to run out on July 9, Indian trade negotiators have extended their US stay, in an attempt to seal an interim trade deal, reports the top story in The Indian Express.
- The blast in a Telangana factory is top news in many dailies. “17 dead in massive explosion at pharma unit near Hyderabad”, headlines The Hindu. Rescue work is underway, and an official inquiry is on to determine the cause of the blast, writes the paper.
- All 337 tonnes of remaining toxic waste from the defunct Union Carbide factory in Bhopal has been incinerated, 41 years after the Bhopal Gas Disaster, reports Hindustan Times.
- And finally, Delhi Police has revised handcuffing protocols, whereby those aged 18 to 21 years cannot be handcuffed without court approval, reports The Times of India.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University in Gorakhpur this morning.
- Railways rationalises basic fare for passenger train services from today.
- IMD forecasts above normal rainfall in July across India.
- US, India, Japan and Australia launch historic ‘QUAD at Sea Ship Observer Mission’ to enhance maritime security in Indo-Pacific region.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in Washington DC this evening.
- And, ten lakh footballs to be distributed to schools across India to nurture strong sporting culture among students.
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