THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of multiple development projects worth forty thousand crore rupees in Bihar from Purnea district; Says, establishment of National Makhana Board will ensure better prices for farmers.
- Prime Minister assures action against illegal infiltration, highlighting grave demographic crisis in Eastern India.
- Prime Minister stresses on enhanced operational readiness of Armed Forces during Combined Commanders’ Conference in Kolkata.
- Home Minister Amit Shah hails security forces on elimination of three top Naxalites at Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.
- Railway Ministry makes Aadhaar-authentication mandatory for initial 15 minutes of booking tickets in general reservation through IRCTC website and mobile app from 1st of next month.
- In Chess, India's Vaishali Rameshbabu wins FIDE Women's Grand Swiss tournament in Uzbekistan; Also qualifies for Women's Candidates 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of a slew of development projects worth more than forty thousand crore rupees in Bihar from Purnea district. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said, the double-engine government is continuously working to make the lives of the people of Bihar easier.
Mr Modi also launched the National Makhana Board in Bihar on the occasion. The establishment of the Board will significantly boost Makhana production. The Prime Minister emphasized that the Board will work continuously to ensure better prices for makhana farmers and to enhance the use of technology in the sector.
Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated the Interim Terminal Building at New Civil Enclave of Purnea Airport and flagged off the first commercial flight. He said, this will enable direct connectivity between Purnea and Seemanchal with major cities and key commercial hubs across the nation. Mr Modi said, his government has drastically reduced the GST rate which will come into force from the 22nd of this month on Navratri. Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister also highlighted the grave demographic crisis emerging in Seemanchal and Eastern India due to illegal infiltrators. He affirmed that sealing illegal infiltration is a firm responsibility of their government and assured strict action will be taken against it.
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Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference at Kolkata in West Bengal today. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister lauded the Indian Armed Forces for their exemplary role in Operation Sindoor and highlighted their vital contribution to nation-building. Mr Modi stressed on enhanced operational readiness of the Armed Forces. He instructed the Defence Ministry to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater Jointness, Atmanirbharta and Innovation to meet future challenges and to prevail against any eventuality. On the occasion, the Prime Minister also unveiled the ‘Indian Armed Forces Vision 2047’ document which charts the roadmap for a future-ready armed forces. Held once in two years, this conference is the apex-level brainstorming forum of the Armed Forces, that brings together the nation’s top civilian and military leadership to exchange views and lay the groundwork for the future development of India’s military preparedness.
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Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today asserted that now India has become the third-largest automobile market globally, surpassing Japan, and aims to reach the top position within the next five years. The Minister was addressing the International Value Summit 2025 in New Delhi. Mr Gadkari emphasized that India is also a leading hub for green mobility, and infrastructure innovation.
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On Independence Day, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the next generation of GST reforms. His vision was realized on the 3rd of this month, when the GST Council reduced tax rates in many sectors to ease the lives of citizens. Today, we take a look at the items on which GST has been slashed from 12 to 5 percent.
"The GST on sports goods including gloves, sports kits, equipment for general physical exercise and fishing gear have been reduced from 12 percent to 5 percent. The move will not just make these items more affordable but will also encourage early childhood learning through play. Talking exclusively to the Akashvani News, Indra Neil Bharti, a resident of Ranchi in Jharkhand said that these reforms are going to be beneficial for the sports enthusiasts.
The Council has also brought down the tax rate on Agro based Wood products like bamboo flooring, barrels, vats, and tubs of wood to 5 percent from previous 12 percent further boosting wood manufacturing. With Shivang, Rohan for Akashvani News, Delhi."
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Three top Naxalites were killed in an encounter at Karandi village in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand today. Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a social media post lauded the joint team of CRPF's Cobra Battalion and Jharkhand police on achieving a major success in anti-naxal operations in Hazaribagh. Mr Shah said, notorious Naxal commander Sahdev Soren, carrying a bounty of one crore rupees has been killed in this operation. Along with him, two other Naxalites - Raghunath Hembram and Birsen Ganjhu were also killed by the security forces. The Home Minister informed that after this operation, Naxalism has completely ended from the Bokaro region of North Jharkhand.
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The Supreme Court has refused to stay the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 but put on hold certain provisions of the law. The clause requiring a person to be a practising Muslim for five years before declaring a property as Waqf has been stayed. The top court ruled that this clause will remain suspended until State Governments frame rules to determine such conditions. Pronouncing an interim order, the apex court said, it considered prima facie challenge to each of the sections and found no case was made out to stay the entire statute. Speaking to media on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai, Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju welcomed the Supreme Court verdict.
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Swachhata Hi Seva campaign 2025 will begin from the 17th of this month. Addressing a curtain raiser press conference along with Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil in New Delhi today, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal announced that this year the campaign will be celebrated as swachhotsav. He said that during the campaign, large-scale cleanliness activities will be carried out across the country, including shramdaan and transformation of targeted units.
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Guided by the mantra of Seva and Sushasan, that is, Public Service and Good Governance, the Government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been working tirelessly to bring transformation and progress. Akashvani News brings for our listeners a Special Series- “Seva Parv”. In the series, today, we take a look at how the Narendra Modi government has transformed the life of every citizen, through the Swachh Bharat Campaign.
"Eleven years have passed since the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was started... hardly anyone would have thought... that talks of a cleanliness revolution through building toilets would be made from the ramparts of the Red Fort.. but on 15th August 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did something similar...
A research paper was published recently in the Nature magazine, regarding the changes after the end of open defecation in India. A study undertaken by University of California and Ohio State University has stated that this has been successful in preventing almost 70 thousand deaths annually. The programme has transformed the lives of many women; and one such woman is Kiran of Chamoli district.
The success of the programme is reflected in the fact that toilets have been built in almost 12 crore households, freeing the country from the evil of open defecation. Clean water is being supplied through pipes to about 78 percent of the houses in the country. A target of making cities garbage-free by 2026 has been set under the programme. As a result, India's image on the cleanliness map has significantly improved compared to the past."
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The Railway Ministry has made Aadhaar-authentication mandatory for initial 15 minutes of booking tickets in the general reservation category through IRCTC website and mobile app from the 1st of next month. Currently, this restriction applies only to Tatkal bookings. The Ministry said, the decision has been taken to ensure that the benefits of reservation system reach the common end user and are not misused by unscrupulous elements.
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Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu has won the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss for the second time in as many editions, after drawing her final game against former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi of China at Samarkand in Uzbekistan. With this win, Vaishali became the third Indian woman after Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy to qualify for the prestigious 2026 FIDE Women's Candidates tournament.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: -
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of multiple development projects worth forty thousand crore rupees in Bihar from Purnea district; Says, establishment of National Makhana Board will ensure better prices for farmers.
- Prime Minister assures action against illegal infiltration, highlighting grave demographic crisis in Eastern India.
- Prime Minister stresses on enhanced operational readiness of Armed Forces during Combined Commanders’ Conference in Kolkata.
- Home Minister Amit Shah hails security forces on elimination of three top Naxalites at Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.
- Railway Ministry makes Aadhaar-authentication mandatory for initial 15 minutes of booking tickets in general reservation through IRCTC website and mobile app from 1st of next month.
- In Chess, India's Vaishali Rameshbabu wins FIDE Women's Grand Swiss tournament in Uzbekistan; Also qualifies for Women's Candidates 2026.
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