THE HEADLINES:
- Government to launch 12th tranche of commercial coal mine auctions in New Delhi today.
- National Commission for Women to open Premarital Counseling Centre in every district of the country.
- NDA MPs from Bihar meet in New Delhi to discuss upcoming assembly elections in the state.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says, India and China are trying to rebuild ties damaged by 2020 Galwan valley clashes.
- IMD forecasts heavy rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir today; Heavy rain also expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
- And, Khelo India Para Games 2025 to conclude with a grand closing ceremony in New Delhi this evening.
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Ministry of Coal will launch the 12th tranche of commercial coal mine auctions in New Delhi today. Among the offered mines, 13 coal mines are fully explored, while 12 are partially explored, providing opportunities for both immediate and future development. The 12th tranche of commercial coal mine auctions aims to attract significant interest from domestic and international investors, reinforcing India’s commitment to self-reliance in energy and industrial growth.
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The National Commission for Women (NCW) has said that it will open a Premarital Counseling Centre in every district of the country. Talking to the media in Patna, NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said this is a new initiative of the commission launched on International Women’s Day this year. She said, 23 such centres have been opened in 11 states so far. The Chairperson said, these counseling centres will be opened at government spaces and it will be operated under the supervision of district or municipal bodies.
Mrs. Rahtakar said these pre-marital centres will help those couples who are going to tie the knot. The Chairperson said at the centre counsel will provide help regarding social psychology and behavioral aspects of marriage. She added that rising marital disputes, divorce cases, failure of marriages are issues of concern as joint families are disintegrating into nuclear families.
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NDA MPs from Bihar met at the residence of BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal in New Delhi over dinner yesterday. BJP President J P Nadda, senior leaders of JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), Hindustan Awam Morcha (Secular) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha attended the meeting along with BJP MPs from Bihar. The meeting which took place ahead of the Bihar Assembly poll scheduled later this year, was intended to further fine tune coordination among the alliance partners in the state. Later in a social media post, Union Minister and LJP(R) Chief Chirag Paswan said that the strategies for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections were discussed during the meeting.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh from BJP, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh from JD(U), Union Minister Jitan Ram Mnajhi from HAM and RLM Chief Upendra Kushwaha also attended the meeting.
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India and China are trying to rebuild the ties damaged by the Galwan valley clashes of 2020 as a tense relationship will not serve either side. Dr. Jaishankar said, differences should not become disputes and competition should not become conflict. He made this remark while speaking on India-China relations in a conversation with Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Society, in New Delhi.
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Dr. Jaishankar emphasized that since October last year, relations between the two countries have seen some improvement, with both nations working on various aspects of their ties. He said that India and China do compete on many issues, but because they compete doesn't mean that there should be a conflict between the two countries.
External Affairs Minister said that India and the US are holding very active and intense discussions on trade. He added that New Delhi is also looking at boosting its energy ties with the US and making sure that there's a stable, reasonable, predictable energy environment that is something crucial to India's long-term growth and development. Dr. Jaishankar said that on trade, they had a very open discussion and it is the result of the decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Trump to have a bilateral trade agreement by fall this year.
On strategic ties with the US, Dr. Jaishankar said, New Delhi is certainly expecting a more substantial and higher quality defence relationship under the Trump administration. He also talked about India's ongoing discussions for separate free trade pacts with the European Union and the United Kingdom. He said, these agreements are very serious and they are quite advanced.
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In Maharashtra, Under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a review meeting of the Public Health Department was held in Mumbai yesterday. It was attended by Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar, Minister of State for Health Meghna Bordikar and Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik. Chief Minister Fadnavis said that citizens across the state should have access to quality healthcare facilities within a 5 km radius.
"Chief Minister emphasized the need for better coordination between the Public Health and Medical Education departments. He said that outdated processes should be revised, and maximum treatments should be available at primary health centers. He further said that , on the lines of Tamil Nadu state, 13 healthcare services should be provided in Maharashtra's all primary health centers. The state government aims to provide affordable and easily accessible healthcare services. Authorities have been instructed to conduct a comprehensive study and submit immediate reports for implementation. Bhavana, akashVani News, Mumbai."
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US President Donald Trump has declared a 25 per cent tariff on all imported vehicles entering the United States. The new import taxes will go into effect on April 2, the same date he plans to announce reciprocal tariffs aimed at the countries responsible for the bulk of the US trade deficit. Trump said, the measure aims to incentivise car manufacturers to establish more production facilities within US borders.
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rainfall and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir today. Heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms is also expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and some parts of Punjab today. Light to moderate rainfall is expected in Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Kerala, Mahe, Tamilnadu, Puducherry and Karaikal today. The IMD has also forecast heavy rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh tomorrow and on Saturday. IMD Scientist Dr. Soma Sen Roy said, hot and humid weather conditions will prevail in isolated areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam over the next three days.
According to the IMD, maximum temperatures are expected to rise gradually by two to three degrees Celsius over the plains of Northwest India during the next two days and then fall by three to five degrees Celsius thereafter. Odisha is expected to witness a heatwave on Saturday and Sunday.
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The Khelo India Para Games 2025 is set to conclude with a grand closing ceremony this evening, marking the culmination of an inspiring and action-packed sporting event.
"Organized by the Sports Authority of India, the ceremony will be graced by Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse. The eight-day championship witnessed participation from more than 1,300 para-athletes competing across six sports, including Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para Badminton, Para Powerlifting, Para Shooting, and Para Table Tennis.
In the IPL T20 Cricket, Kolkata Knight Riders defeated Rajasthan Royals by 8 wickets at Guwahati last night. Kolkata Knight Riders surpassed the target of 152 runs scoring 153 runs for two wickets in only 17.3 overs. Quinton de Kock struck a magnificent 97 not out from 61 balls anchoring KKR's chase to perfection. Today Sunrisers Hyderabad will clash with Lucknow Super Giants at Hyderabad .
Indian wrestlers continued their good run on the second day of the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship 2025, with Nitesh clinching the second bronze medal for the country in Amman, Jordan. With this win he added another bronze medal to the one that Sunil Kumar had won in the men's 87kg. Nitesh handed Amanberdi Agamammedov of Turkmenistan a dominant 9-nil defeat in the Greco-Roman category.
Moving onto Squash, India's Anahat Singh, Joshna Chinappa and Abhay Singh have stormed into the Semi- finals of Indian Open. Anahat will take on former Asian Champion Joshna Chinappa in the women's semi- final clash while Abhay Singh will up against Egypt's Karim el Hammamy in the Men's semi finals today. WITH SANYUKTA YADAV, MANIK SHARMA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI."
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Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth flagged-off joint expeditions to Mount Kangchenjunga and Mount Everest from South Block in New Delhi yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Seth described the mission as not just about reaching the top of the world but showcasing India's mountaineering excellence and leadership in adventure sports. He noted that India is fast emerging as a powerhouse in the global adventure sports arena, and mountaineering institutions under the Ministry of Defence. He expressed confidence in the team's abilities and highlighted the expedition's significance. Mr Seth further emphasised that mountaineering institutes have been at the forefront of training and inspiring the youth, truly embodying the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to foster self-reliance, resilience, and a fearless spirit among the young minds.
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Over 7.5 lakh pilgrims have registered for Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib Yatra 2025 so far using Aadhaar authentication. In a statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that the move is expected to help curb duplicity of registration, allowing more pilgrims the opportunity of carrying out the Yatra. Aadhaar-based digital verification is expected to make the registration process faster, and reduce paperwork.
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TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- In the backdrop of the April 2 deadline, trade officials from the US indicate, "US won't club India with China and Canada on tariffs. This is the lead headline in the Hindustan Times.
- The Statesman writes, "Rape bid case ruling: SC pulls up Allahabad High Court". Observations are unknown to tenets of law, show in human approach, says the Supreme Court.
- Quoting the Finance Ministry, The Hindu Business Line headlines reads, "Higher crop output estimates may ease food inflation".
- Quoting the Niti Aayog CEO, The Indian Express notes, "Not enough medium-sized firms in India, structural problem".
- "Government cracks whip on sale of books, School Uniforms", says can't Force Purchase from specific vendor, issues norms, mentions The Times of India.
- And finally, capturing the beauty of 74 exquisite varieties of tulips, newspapers, The Pioneer, The Indian Express, carry beautiful pictures of the blooming Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden in Srinagar.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Government to launch 12th tranche of commercial coal mine auctions in New Delhi today.
- National Commission for Women to open Premarital Counseling Centre in every district of the country.
- NDA MPs from Bihar meet in New Delhi to discuss upcoming assembly elections in the state.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says, India and China are trying to rebuild ties damaged by 2020 Galwan valley clashes.
- IMD forecasts heavy rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir today; Heavy rain also expected in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
- And, Khelo India Para Games 2025 to conclude with a grand closing ceremony in New Delhi this evening.
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