THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for greater industry participation in emerging technologies to make India an early leader; Leading global CEOs at Semiconductor Roundtable express confidence in India’s potential.
- Union Cabinet approves hike in EPFO wage ceiling from 15 thousand rupees to 25 thousand rupees per month; 51 lakh more employees to be benefitted.
- Government declares Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network, a terrorist organisation under UAPA.
- New Delhi expresses deep concern at drone attack near Makkah in Saudi Arabia; Urges early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
- A Special NIA court in Chhattisgarh sentences 10 convicts to death in 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case in Bastar district.
- Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag to be conferred with prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasised the importance of close collaboration between the Government and the semiconductor industry in shaping India’s technology future. Mr Modi stated this while chairing the Semiconductor Roundtable with leading global CEOs in New Delhi today. The Prime Minister called for greater industry participation in skilling, innovation and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence(AI) and Quantum Computing. More from our correspondent:
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India should aspire to be among the early leaders in emerging technologies. He noted the significant progress made in the semiconductor sector and said the ecosystem is now moving from foundational efforts to a phase of greater scale and opportunity. Mr Modi reiterated the Government’s commitment to a predictable and responsive policy environment, while emphasising that policies must evolve in line with technological advancements and industry requirements. He invited industry leaders to share suggestions on policy and administrative measures and assured them that their inputs would be given due consideration in further strengthening the sector. He encouraged industry leaders to actively participate in the next phase of India’s semiconductor growth. The CEOs appreciated the Government’s sustained efforts to develop India’s semiconductor capabilities, noting the progress made in manufacturing, design, infrastructure and talent development. They expressed confidence in the opportunities emerging under India Semiconductor Mission 2.0 and in India’s potential to build capabilities across the semiconductor value chain, including manufacturing, research and development, advanced technologies and supporting industries. Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News”
The meeting was attended by CEOs, Heads and representatives of various organisations including SEMI, Micron, Infineon, Tokyo Electron Ltd, FujiFilm, Intel, Tata Electronics, Foxconn, Semi Conductor Devices, Advantest, IBM Research among others.
The roundtable was held ahead of the inauguration of the fifth edition of SEMICON India by Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi tomorrow.
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The Union Cabinet has approved the increase in the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees Provident Fund Organisation from 15 thousand rupees to 25 thousand rupees per month. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement while addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi today. He said, the decision is expected to benefit over 51 lakh additional employees. Mr Vaishnaw said, the revised wage ceiling will come into effect from Vishwakarma Jayanti tomorrow.
Our correspondent has more details on the Cabinet’s decision taken today:
“The decision to raise the wage ceiling marks another important step towards building an inclusive, resilient and future-ready social security architecture. At present, a fresh employee joining employment at a wage above 15 thousand rupees per month is not automatically covered under the EPF framework. Raising the ceiling to 25 thousand will bring a substantial segment of employees within the statutory social security framework. The revised wage ceiling will support stronger employee retention and a more stable formal workforce resulting in sustainable employment and higher productivity. The approval will expand access to provident fund savings, pension protection under the Employees Pension Scheme and insurance protection under the Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme. Anand Kumar, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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The Government has introduced an exemption from the requirement of Registration-cum-Membership Certificate or Certificate of Registration for small-value export consignments up to three lakh rupees. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, the measure is aimed at reducing the compliance burden for new and small exporters and facilitating exports through Postal, Courier and other emerging channels.
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The government has declared Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The terrorist group is involved in smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics across borders, apart from inciting youths and petty criminals into terrorism. The Union Home Ministry has issued gazette notification in this regard. The Home Ministry said, the decision was taken in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism.
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India has expressed deep concern at the drone attack near Makkah in Saudi Arabia. Responding to media queries regarding the drone attack, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, India reiterates its condemnation of attacks on the sovereign territory of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of actions that endanger civilian lives and infrastructure. He added that the incident near Makkah is particularly concerning, given the special significance of the city to Muslims across the world. The Spokesperson further said that India expresses hope for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia said that its air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone by Yemen’s Iran backed armed group Houthi near Makkah last evening. Meanwhile, the Houthis have denied targeting Makkah.
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The External Affairs Ministry today summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi and lodged a strong protest over the unacceptable conduct of Pakistani naval units at sea, which led to a collision with a unit of the Indian Navy. In a statement, the Ministry said, while the incident which took place in international waters, did not cause any major damage, the conduct was in direct contravention of the Agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements of April 1991.
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A Special NIA Court at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, today sentenced all ten convicts to death in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case. The convicts have been given 30 days to appeal against the verdict in the High Court. On 25th of May in 2013, 27 people, including several senior Congress leaders were killed and 35 others were injured in Maoist attack in Jhiram Valley in Bastar district.
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Veteran Actor of Kannada Cinema Anant Nag will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 for his outstanding contribution to the Indian cinema. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry made the announcement today. The award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on 22nd of this month at Kevadia in Gujarat. We have a report:
“It is an honour and hour of jubilation for Karnataka and Kannada film industry as the legendary actor Anant Nag will be conferred the prestigious Phalke award. May it be romance, comedy or plain serious subject, the realistic, spontaneous acting style of the veteran actor left its mark on the audience. His impressive work in Minchina Ota, Hamsageethe, Ankur, Manthan, Malgudi days, Ganeshana Maduve, Gauri Ganesha and over 250 other films has left an indelible mark in the film industry. In his reaction to the media, Anant Nag has expressed deep happiness and gratitude to his well wishers and the film fraternity. Sudhindhra Akashvani News, Bengaluru”
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have congratulated the acclaimed actor and highlighted the impact of his decades-long work, particularly in Kannada cinema.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan also extended wishes to veteran actor for the honour.
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BJP will run a month-long nationwide Seva Sankalp Abhiyan from tomorrow to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, with a focus on highlighting his commitment to public service and encouraging people, particularly the youth, to undertake acts of service. The campaign will also mark 25 years of Mr Modi taking oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001.
Briefing media in Kolkata today ahead of the launch senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised Prime Minister Modi as a true leader one who gives priority to the welfare of citizens.
The party will organize various activities under the campaign, keeping in focus the spirit of service associated with Prime Minister Modi’s personality. The Prime Minister’s birthday tomorrow will be observed as Seva Diwas and blood donation camps will be organised across the country. An Ashirwad Ka Diya programme will be held in the evening tomorrow, under which families, particularly beneficiaries of government schemes, will light lamps as a gesture of gratitude for Mr Modi’s 25 years in public service.
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Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, along with Minister of State for Jal Shakti V Somanna and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, today launched the Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign. The theme of this campaign is Swachhata Mein Sahbhag; Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall over Bihar, Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu and parts of North East India tomorrow. The IMD has predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Gujarat tomorrow. For Delhi, the Weather Agency has forecast a partly cloudy sky tomorrow.
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Benchmark domestic equity indices ended over 0.4 per cent higher today. The Sensex gained 333 points to close at 74 thousand and 336. The Nifty added 99 points to settle at 23 thousand and 218.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN: –
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for greater industry participation in emerging technologies to make India an early leader; Leading global CEOs at Semiconductor Roundtable express confidence in India’s potential.
- Union Cabinet approves hike in EPFO wage ceiling from 15 thousand rupees to 25 thousand rupees per month; 51 lakh more employees to be benefitted.
- Government declares Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network, a terrorist organisation under UAPA.
- New Delhi expresses deep concern at drone attack near Makkah in Saudi Arabia; Urges early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
- A Special NIA court in Chhattisgarh sentences 10 convicts to death in 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack case in Bastar district.
- Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag to be conferred with prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024.
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