THE HEADLINES:-
- New Delhi says, India has right to defend its people against terrorism and will exercise it.
- Crop loss due to Wild Animal Attacks and Paddy Inundation to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
- In Bihar, newly elected MLAs of NDA to meet in Patna tomorrow to elect their leader.
- Six Maoists, including top commander Madvi Hidma, killed in encounter in Andhra Pradesh.
- Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, India-US partnership is strong, stable and expanding across strategic and economic sectors.
- Indian shooters secure double-podium finish by winning gold and bronze medals in 10 metre air rifle mixed team event at 25th Deaflympics in Tokyo.
<><><>
The External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has asserted that India has the right to defend its people against terrorism and will exercise it. Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting in Moscow, Russia, Dr. Jaishankar said, the world must show zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The External Affairs Minister further said that Humanitarian cooperation is crucial in an era marked by climate change, pandemics and conflicts. He highlighted that as a civilizational state, India strongly believes that people-to-people exchanges lie at the core of any genuine relationship. The External Affairs Minister also said that India is willing to extend its considerable experience of heritage conservation in Southeast Asia to Central Asia. Dr Jaishankar said that India believes that SCO must adapt to the changing global landscape, develop an expanded agenda and reform its working methods.
<><><>
Dr Jaishankar today called on Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO meeting in Moscow. Dr Jaishankar also met other Heads of SCO Delegations this afternoon.
<><><>
The crop loss due to Wild Animal Attacks and Paddy Inundation will now be covered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry said that under the revised framework, crop loss due to wild animal attack will now be recognised as the fifth add-on Cover under the Localised Risk category, while, Paddy inundation reintroduced under localised calamity. The Ministry said, States will notify the list of wild animals responsible for crop damage and identify vulnerable districts or insurance units based on historical data. It said that farmers will be required to report losses within 72 hours using the Crop Insurance App by uploading geotagged photographs. The decision will be rolled out from Kharif 2026. For years, farmers across the country have suffered increasing crop losses due to attacks by wild animals such as elephants, wild boars, nilgai, deer, and monkeys. Until now, such losses often went uncompensated as they were not covered under crop insurance. More from our correspondent.
The decision has been taken in response to long-standing requests from several States and is aimed at strengthening protection for farmers against sudden, localised, and severe crop damage. The modalities have been prepared in accordance with Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Operational Guidelines. This coverage is expected to significantly benefit farmers in States with high human-wildlife conflict like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, as well as the Himalayan and North-Eastern States. Reintroducing Paddy Inundation as a Localised Calamity Cover under the scheme will especially benefit farmers in coastal and flood-prone States.These aditions make PMFBY more inclusive, responsive and farmer-friendly, further strengthening the resilience of India’s crop insurance system. With Dipendra, Anand Kumar, Akashvani News, Delhi
<><><>
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today chaired the sixth Pre-Budget consultation with experts and leaders from the manufacturing sector in connection with the upcoming Union Budget 2026-27, in New Delhi. In a social media post, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary who was also present in the meeting said that during the consultation there was a comprehensive and meaningful discussion on important policy aspects, financial reforms, innovation-based development, challenges and opportunities related to investment in the context of the upcoming budget.
<><><>
In Bihar, newly elected MLAs of NDA will meet in Patna tomorrow to elect their leader. All 202 newly elected MLAs from the five NDA parties-BJP, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha-will attend the meeting and elect the alliance leader. The BJP Parliamentary Board has appointed Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya as the observer for the election of the BJP legislature party leader. In addition, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and former Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have been appointed as co-observers.
More from our correspondent:
"Tomorrow is very important day ahead of the formation of the new NDA government in Bihar. The current and 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly will be dissolved tomorrow and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will also resign from his post to pave the way of formation of new NDA government. He will visit the Raj Bhavan and submit his resignation, and then stake claim to form the new government before Governor. Meanwhile, preparations for the swearing-in ceremony, scheduled to be held on 20th November at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, are underway in full swing. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with the state's Chief Secretary and other officials, visited Gandhi Maidan to review the arrangements of the swearing in ceremony. Dharmendra Kumar Rai, Akashvani News, Patna."
<><><>
The Election Commission today informed that more than 50 crore 97 lakh enumeration forms have been distributed among electors since the launch of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Phase -2. It is 98.54 percent of the total 51 crore electors to be covered in this phase. The second phase of SIR of electoral rolls commenced on 4th of this month in nine States and three Union territories. The commission said that over 15 crore forms have been handed over in Uttar Pradesh and over seven crore in West Bengal.
The large-scale revision of the electoral rolls will conclude with the publication of the final voter list on 7th February next year.
<><><>
In a significant development in anti-Maoist operations, six Maoists, including top commander Madvi Hidma, were killed in a pre-dawn encounter in the Maredumilli forests near the Andhra-Chhattisgarh-Odisha tri-junction in Alluri Sita Ramaraju District, Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police, Harish Kumar Gupta, said the encounter took place following credible intelligence about the group’s movement. He added that no security personnel were injured during the operation. Andhra Pradesh’s Additional Director General (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha told media persons that Weapons, including AK-47 rifles were recovered from the encounter site.
Inspector General Sundarraj P of the Bastar Range described Hidma’s death as a decisive breakthrough in counter-insurgency efforts.
<><><>
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal today said that India-US partnership is strong, stable and expanding across strategic and economic sectors. Addressing the Indo American Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi today, the Minister asserted that there is no cause for concern regarding the bilateral relationship and reiterated that the friendship between the two nations stands on firm pillars of democracy, diversity and a shared developmental vision.
Mr Goyal highlighted India has moved from being among the Fragile Five to becoming one of the top five global economies in the last decade. He further mentioned that India is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu urged everyone to work together to ensure water availability and security, highlighting that climate change is affecting the water cycle in today’s time. Conferring the 6th National Water Awards 2024 and the first Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari Awards in New Delhi, the President said that the efficient use of water is essential for the country, as its water resources are limited considering the population.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu tomorrow. During his visit to Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Modi will visit the holy shrine and Mahasamadhi of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Puttaparthi and offer his obeisance. The Prime Minister will also participate in the Centenary Celebrations of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and will release a Commemorative Coin and a set of Stamps honouring the life, teachings, and enduring legacy of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. He is also scheduled to address the gathering during the programme.
Later, the Prime Minister will travel to Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and will inaugurate the South India Natural Farming Summit. During the programme, Mr. Modi will release the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN, amounting to more than 18 thousand crore rupees to support 9 crore farmers across the country.
<><><>
Benchmark domestic equity indices, the Sensex and Nifty, snapped their six-day winning streak. The indices opened on a negative note and after a choppy trading session closed in the red. The Sensex fell 278 points to close at 84 thousand 673, while the Nifty dipped 103 points to settle at 25 thousand 910.
<><><>
Indian shooters today secured double-podium finish by winning gold and bronze medals in 10 metre air rifle mixed team event at 25th Deaflympics in Tokyo. The duo of Dhanush Srikanth and Mahit Sandhu defeated South Koreaan duo of Jeong Dain and Kim Woorim by 17 - 7 in the gold medal match.
While duo of Mohammed Vania and Komal Waghmare overpowered Ukrainian duo Lykova Violeta and Kostyk Oleksandr by 16-12 to clinch the bronze medal.
<><><>
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall in places over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal tomorrow. The weather agency has also predicted thunderstorms accompanied with lightning at isolated places over Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep tomorrow.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: -
- New Delhi says, India has right to defend its people against terrorism and will exercise it.
- Crop loss due to Wild Animal Attacks and Paddy Inundation to be covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.
- In Bihar, newly elected MLAs of NDA to meet in Patna tomorrow to elect their leader.
- Six Maoists, including top commander Madvi Hidma, killed in encounter in Andhra Pradesh.
- Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, India-US partnership is strong, stable and expanding across strategic and economic sectors.
- Indian shooters secure double-podium finish by winning gold and bronze medals in 10 metre air rifle mixed team event at 25th Deaflympics in Tokyo.