THE HEADLINES:

 

• Battle for Bihar Assembly Elections intensifies as campaigning enters final leg; Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be on a day-long campaign in the state; Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to hold multiple election rallies.
• President Droupadi Murmu to be on a three-day visit to Uttarakhand beginning today.
• ISRO to launch country’s heaviest communication satellite CMS-03 this evening.
• Fortnight-long Bharat Parv 2025 begins at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat.
• 67th edition of Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan to begin today with concerts at Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai; Classical music performances to be held at 24 cities during the month.
• In ICC Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup, India to take on South Africa in Summit Clash at Navi Mumbai today; And, Men in Blue to lock horns with Hosts Australia in third T-20 International in Hobart this afternoon.

 

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Bihar is buzzing with election energy as campaigning for the State assembly polls enters its final leg. Top leaders of NDA, Mahagathbandhan and other parties are crisscrossing the state, holding rallies and roadshows. The battle for Bihar is intensifying with every passing day.

Election to the 243 member Bihar assembly is being held in two phases. Polling in the first phase will be held on 121 seats across 18 districts on Thursday. 122 assembly constituencies across 20 districts will go to polls in second phase on 11th of this month. 

 

Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar today for a day-long poll campaign. The Prime Minister will address two back-to-back rallies in Bhojpur and Nawada. Later, Mr Modi will participate in a grand roadshow in Patna in support of NDA candidates. More from our correspondent:

 

“Senior BJP Leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address two election rallies in Ara in Bhojpur and Nawada. Mr. Modi will also hold a roadshow in the state capital, Patna, from Dinkar Golambar to Gandhi Maidan this evening. He will also visit Takht Shri Hari Mandir Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, to offer prayers. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address public meetings in Begusarai and Khagaria. The Chief Ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, will hold 17 election rallies today across various districts including- Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Begusarai, Patna, Vaishali, and Saran. Senior leaders and star campaigners from other parties will also address election rallies at various poll bound constituencies. On the other hand, in Mokama constituency of Patna district the incidents of poll-related violence several actions have been reported. Police have arrested three people, including Janata Dal (United) candidate Anant Singh, in connection with the murder of a Jansuraj Party supporter. Dharmendra Kumar Rai, Akashvani News, Patna.”

 

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President Droupadi Murmu will be on a three-day visit to Uttarakhand beginning today. The President will grace the second convocation ceremony of the University of Patanjali at Haridwar today.

 

Tomorrow, President Murmu will address the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly at Dehradun on the silver jubilee of Uttarakhand state. She will also grace a function to commemorate the 125 years of the establishment of the Raj Bhavan in Nainital.

 

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the country’s heaviest communication satellite CMS-03 this evening. The launch is scheduled to take place from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 5:26 PM Indian Standard Time. The CMS-03 is a multi-band military communication satellite, also known as GSAT-7R, and will be launched aboard the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) – the country’s most powerful rocket. We have a report:

 

“The 24 hour countdown for the launch began yesterday evening at the control centre at Sriharikota. Scientists are doing last minute checks for a successful launch today. The rocket will be launched from the first launch pad at Sriharikota.  LVM3 rocket is India’s heaviest launch vehicle and can carry up to 4,000 kg to space. The CMS-03 payload includes transponders for voice, data, and video links over C, extended C, and Ku bands. The satellite will significantly boost connectivity for the Navy. It will also provide higher-capacity bandwidth, thus improving digital access to remote territories. This will aid both civilian agencies and help improve strategic applications. Joy, Akashvani reporting from Chennai.”

 

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The GST Bachat Utsav began on 22nd of September as the Narendra Modi government reduced GST rates across several sectors, benefiting citizens nationwide. Today, our correspondent brings a report on how the next-generation GST reforms are boosting the country’s stationery sector.

 

The next generation GST reforms have provided a major relief to households and students by lowering the GST on stationery products. Under the revised tax structure, items such as notebooks, graph books, sharpeners, erasers and pencils have been made completely tax-free.  Talking to Akashvani News, Atul Deshpande, a parent from Pune, has hailed the government’s decision to lower the GST on stationery items and support education.

 

The significant deduction in this sector has reduced out-of-pocket education expenses for families and boosted the domestic stationery manufacturing. With Drishti, Adarsh Kumar, Akashvani News, Delhi.

 

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Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu and Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh visited the Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Kasibugga last night, where a stampede earlier in the day claimed nine lives and left several others injured. The leaders inspected the site and met the injured at the Palasa Community Health Centre.

 

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced an ex-gratia of 15 lakh rupees for the family of each deceased and 3 lakh rupees for those injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences and announced a compensation of 2 lakh rupees from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for the families of the deceased and fifty thousand for the injured.

 

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Bharat Parv, a 15-day cultural festival celebrating India’s diversity, commenced at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat last evening. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the festival, which embodies the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, marking the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Patel urged everyone to pledge to build a self-reliant and prosperous India by following the mantra of “development for all. Our correspondent reports that the festival will continue till the 15th of November.

 

Every day, this unique festival will feature a colorful celebration of delicious cuisine, stunning handicrafts, traditional folk dances, and artistic performances from India’s diverse states. The world-class tourist destinations of the Ekta Nagar Tourism Circuit will be the center of attraction, showcasing captivating tableaux from participating states. The Bharat Parva will culminate on November 15th with a grand celebration of the birth anniversary of tribal pride Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The festivities will continue with the zeal and enthusiasm of the Cyclothon on November 16th and 17th. Aparna Khunt/Akashvani News/Ahmedabad.

 

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The 67th edition of Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan will begin today with concerts at Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai. Classical music performances will be held in 24 cities across the country during the month-long event. It is being organised by Prasar Bharati, in collaboration with the Culture Ministry.

 

Information and Broadcasting Ministry said, since its inception in 1954, the Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan has stood as one of India’s most enduring and respected cultural traditions. It was conceived to bring the finest streams of Hindustani, Carnatic, and Light and Folk music to audiences across the country. The Sammelan has played a vital role in preserving, promoting, and popularizing India’s rich musical heritage.

 

Giving details of the Sammelan, Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi said, after a brief interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this grand festival returns this year with renewed vigour. The 2025 edition will feature two concerts at each venue – one dedicated to Indian Classical Music and the other to Light and Folk Music. Panaji and Shillong will exclusively host Western classical presentations, reflecting India’s regional musical diversity.

 

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On to sports, In the ICC Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup, India will take on South Africa in the Summit Clash at the Dr. D. Y. Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai today. The match is scheduled to begin at 3 PM Indian Standard Time. Here is more from the world of sports in this report:

 

The Women-in-Blue sealed their spot by defeating Australia by five wickets in the second semi-final clash in Navi Mumbai, while South Africa advanced to the final with a dominant 125-run victory over England in the first semi-final in Guwahati. Neither India nor South Africa side has ever won an ODI World Cup title, so today’s winner will lift the trophy for the very first time.

 

Onto Men’s Cricket, India will take on Australia in the Third T-20 clash of the five match series at Hobart today. The match will begin at 1:45 PM, Indian Time. Australia currently leads the five-match series 1-Nil. India suffered a crushing defeat in the second T20 match, while the opening fixture was called off midway due to rain.

 

Last we have from the 2025 Para Shooting World Cup, India’s Avani Lekhara clinched gold in the Women’s 10 metre Air Rifle Standing SH1 in Dubai yesterday. She overtook Anna Benson of Sweden to bag the title. Meanwhile, Thailand’s Wannipa Leungvilai clinched the bronze medal. In the Mixed 50 metre Pistol SH1 event, India secured a double podium with gold and silver medals in the individual, along with a silver in the team event. With Sanyukta Yadav,Chirag Jha, Sports Desk.

 

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In Some More New;

 

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Bin Rashid Alzayani will arrive in New Delhi today on a two-day visit to India. During his visit, the Bahrain Foreign Minister will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

 

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In the United Kingdom, ten people were injured, out of which nine are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, after a series of stabbings on a train in Cambridgeshire last night. The train was traveling from Doncaster in the northeast to London’s King’s Cross Station. Armed police and a fleet of ambulances swarmed Huntingdon Station in Cambridgeshire after an alarm was raised about the attack, and the train was brought to a halt there. Two people have been arrested so far. The investigation is being supported by counter-terrorism officers, and police has said the trains are still not running in the area. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said, the appalling incident is deeply concerning and urged people to follow the advice of local authorities.

 

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at China for its military activities in the South China Sea. He also called for collective efforts to counter them, such as crafting a shared maritime domain awareness platform. Hegseth made the remarks during meeting with his counterparts from the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) yesterday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus. The Defence Secretary said, America does not seek conflict, but must ensure that China is not seeking to dominate.

 

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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:

 

• The Statesman cites New Delhi’s key role in peace and stability in the Indo pacific region. The headline says “ASEAN defence ministers hail India’s role as responsible superpower in Indo Pacific.” 
• The Sunday Express states “Bank credits doubles as demand for auto, white goods, housing jumps in september-october.”
• The Hindu mentions the historic moment on the occasion of State formation Day. The State Chief Minister declares “Kerala as the first state to be free of extreme poverty.”
• “Jemimah Rodrigues’ endorsement value set to swing 100 percent” after powering India’s victory against Australia marking a pivotal moment to get the country into the world cup final, reports Financial Express.
• Hindustan Times reports “Artisan hub to come up on Yamuna floodplains” in the National capital blending community livelihoods with Urban ecological stewardship.
• And finally, “Lucknow is now a UNESCO ‘Creative city of Gastronomy” notes The Hindu celebrating the city’s centuries old Awadhi cuisine and inclusive cultural heritage.

 

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:

 

• Battle for Bihar Assembly Elections intensifies as campaigning enters final leg; Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be on a day-long campaign in the state; Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to hold multiple election rallies.
• President Droupadi Murmu to be on a three-day visit to Uttarakhand beginning today.
• ISRO to launch country’s heaviest communication satellite CMS-03 this evening.
• Fortnight-long Bharat Parv 2025 begins at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat.
• 67th edition of Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan to begin today with concerts at Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai; Classical music performances to be held at 24 cities during the month.
• In ICC Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup, India to take on South Africa in Summit Clash at Navi Mumbai today; And, Men in Blue to lock horns with Hosts Australia in third T-20 International in Hobart this afternoon.

 

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