THE HEADLINES::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on entire network of Akashvani at 11 this morning.
- Prime Minister to also virtually attend 22nd ASEAN-India Summit today.
- Depression over Bay of Bengal likely to intensify into cyclonic storm tomorrow; Expected to make landfall as severe cyclonic storm near Kakinada on Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday.
- Kharna, the second day of Chhath Puja, being celebrated today with traditional fervour and enthusiasm.
- And, Hansika Lamba and Sarika Malik bag Silver medals at Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Serbia.
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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 127th episode of the monthly radio programme. The programme will be broadcast across the entire Akashvani and Doordarshan network, the AIR News website, and the Newsonair mobile app. It will also be live-streamed on the YouTube channels of AIR News, DD News, the PMO, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Akashvani will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually attend the 22nd ASEAN – India Summit today. In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said, Prime Minister Modi and the ASEAN leaders will jointly review the progress in ASEAN-India relations and discuss initiatives for strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. It said, strengthening relationship with ASEAN is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will represent Prime Minister Modi at the 20th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 27th October. The East Asia Summit will provide an opportunity to deliberate on the challenges to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and also exchange views on regional and international developments.
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Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has said that Ramanathpuram, Sivaganga, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar districts are included under the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana. Interacting with farmers at Vellore, he said that under the project, 36 schemes are being integrated to deliver comprehensive benefits to farmers. He reviewed the progress of scheme convergence with heads of the four participating Krishi Vigyan Kendras. He emphasised on Natural farming practices and the National Pulses mission which described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make the Country self reliant in pulse production. He mentioned that states such as Tamilnadu will greatly benefit from this mission through improved varieties, advanced technology and assured marketing.
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The depression over Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a deep depression today and a cyclonic storm tomorrow. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone Montha is expected to make landfall near Kakinada on Andhra Pradesh coast as a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday evening or night. The severe cyclone is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rain in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. Early forecasts suggest that north Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, may escape major impact.
In Tamil Nadu, heavy rain is likely to occur in northern districts during the next 24 hours. IMD has issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rains in interior Tamil Nadu tomorrow. Heavy rain is likely to occur in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Ranipet, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Chennai and Villupuram districts during the next 24 hours. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea till 29th of this month.
Andhra Pradesh government has issued warnings and stepped up preparedness to minimize possible damage. Our Vijaywada correspondent has filed this report:
“The system is likely to intensify into a cyclone and expected to cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, by Tuesday evening or night. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in many districts on Monday and Tuesday. The state government is taking all necessary steps to ensure public safety and minimize the impact of the cyclone. As per the Chief Minister’s instructions, 8 NDRF teams and 9 SDRF teams have been deployed in coastal districts. Fishermen are warned not to go out to sea, and all fishing, boating, and beach activities are suspended until Wednesday. Officials have advised the public to stay indoors during the cyclone, avoid traveling unless necessary, and not to believe social media rumors. Allu Murali, Akashvani News, Vijayawada.”
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Cabinet Secretary, Dr T V Somanathan chaired a meeting of National Crises Management Committee yesterday to review preparedness for the impending cyclone in Bay of Bengal. India Meteorological Department briefed the Committee about the current status of the depression, which is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by 28th of this month and cross several states across the eastern and southern coast of the country.
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Along with the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, campaigning for the second phase has also gained momentum. Voting for the first phase will be held on 6th November across 121 assembly constituencies, while the second phase will take place on 11 th November in 122 constituencies. Senior leaders and star campaigners of both the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan are scheduled to address several election rallies today. A report:-
“JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed several public meetings yesterday in support of NDA candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address an election rally in Chhapra and Muzaffarpur on 30th October. The Mahagathbandhan’s chief ministerial candidate Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is also holding election rallies in several constituencies. After the Chhath Mahaparv, campaigning for the assembly elections is expected to gain further momentum. Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United) has expelled 11 leaders, including former ministers and ex-MLAs, for contesting against NDA’s official candidates as rebels. Among those expelled are former minister Shailesh Kumar and former JD(U) MLAs Shyam Bahadur Singh and Sudarshan Kumar are prominent names. In another development, the Congress has appointed Avinash Pande as the election coordinator for Bihar to oversee campaign management and strategy. Dharmendra Kumar Rai, Akashvani News, Patna.”
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Today is the second day of Chhath Puja, known as Kharna. On this day, devotees observe a fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from both food and water. The fast is broken only after making offerings to the Sun God at sunset. The four-day long Chhath Puja began with Nahay-Khay yesterday. Dedicated to the worship of the Sun god and his sister Chhathi Maiya, the festival emphasises purity, gratitude, and the well-being of one’s family.
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Our Ranchi correspondent as filed this report on Chhath celebrations in Jhanrkhand.
“The devotees will today begin a 36-hour-long fast without water after consuming the sacred Kharna Prasad after sunset. Tomorrow on Monday, Arghya will be given to the setting sun at Chhath ghats located on various river or water bodies. On Tuesday the devotees will offer Arghya to the rising sun, marking the conclusion of the four-day-long Chhath festival. The famous Surya temple in Ranchi has become lively ahead of the Chhath festival, as Chhath vratis offer their pujas on the ghats of Swarnarekha river here and worship the Sun God. Local products in the markets have become lively in preparation for the festival. There is heavy rush of people buying fruits, earthen pots, and other items used in Chhath Puja. Meanwhile the disaster management department has issued several instructions and deployed NDRF people to ensure safety during the Holy festival. Shilpi, Akashvani News, Ranchi.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended warm wishes to devotees across the country and around the world on the occasion of Chhath festival. In a social media post, Mr Modi paid tribute to the unwavering devotion of all vratis and highlighted the profound cultural significance of this four-day festival.
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Over 1.5 crore passengers have already traveled in trains operated so far in this festive season. Rail Ministry said in a statement that the number is expected to exceed 2.5 crore by the end of the festive period. Thirty major stations in Bihar and nearby areas in Uttar Pradesh have been equipped with large holding areas to ensure smoother crowd management.
The Ministry said that significant investment in railway infrastructure in recent years has led to remarkable progress. The number of special trains, which were only a few hundred earlier, has now risen to a record-breaking number.
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The GST Bachat Utsav kicked off on 22nd September as the Narendra Modi government slashed GST rates in many sectors, benefitting citizens across the country. Today, our correspondent brings a report on how the new GST rates in the healthcare sector are helping citizens.
“The next-generation GST reforms have provided relief to the healthcare sector by reducing costs across medicines, equipment and essential services. The tax on essential medicines, previously at 12 percent, has now been reduced to 5 percent and 36 life-saving drugs have been fully exempted from the taxes, making treatments for chronic and severe illnesses more affordable. Medical devices and equipment such as gauze, bandages, diagnostic kits and thermometers now attract 5 percent GST instead of the previous 12 percent. This reduction has made diagnostic and treatment services cheaper.Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, Manish Kumar, a pharmacist in Delhi, said that due to the GST cut, prices of medicines have come down providing relief to the consumers.
These reforms have reduced medical expenses ensuring inclusive access to quality healthcare for all citizens. With Rohan and Samarth, Priya Mondal for Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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India’s Hansika Lamba and Sarika Malik bagged Silver medals at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Serbia. Hansika Lamba competed in the 53kg final but lost to Haruna Morikawa of Japan with a score of 0-4. In the 55kg category, Sarika Malik, faced Ruka Natami. Sarika tried to use her strength for a push-out but was caught by the Japanese wrestler, who executed a two-pointer on the edge of the circle to take a 2-1 lead.Despite the silver medal finishes, India had an impressive overall showing at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:
- The Economic Times cites “High-end trends this festive sales season” driven by GST cuts, strong pent-up demand and easier financing options as purchase of premium hand-sets and large-screen TVs surge.
- The Sunday Pioneer states “ECI to launch pan-India SIR next week.”
- “Endorsing National Education Policy, Delhi sets uniform six plus rule for Class 1 ending years of varying age requirements across institutions states Hindustan Times.
- “Centre to set up ten new institutes of Creative Technogies across the country to boost media, digital sectors” reports The Statesman.
- The Indian Express notes the passing away of the incomparable humourist and humanist actor Satish Shah who breathed life into array of roles from TV to cinema, From Jaane bhi do yaaron …to Vikram Sarabhai.
- And Finally, The Sunday Pioneer writes “Bhopal to get India’s first government- run Unani hammam” integrating traditional healing wisdom with modern wellness practices.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to share his thoughts in Mann Ki Baat programme on entire network of Akashvani at 11 this morning.
- Prime Minister to also virtually attend 22nd ASEAN-India Summit today.
- Depression over Bay of Bengal likely to intensify into cyclonic storm tomorrow; Expected to make landfall as severe cyclonic storm near Kakinada on Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday.
- Kharna, the second day of Chhath Puja, being celebrated today with traditional fervour and enthusiasm.
- And, Hansika Lamba and Sarika Malik bag Silver medals at Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Serbia.
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