THE HEADLINES::           

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts Indian economy remains exceptionally strong despite global economic crisis.
2. Reserve Bank of India eases regulatory norms for Foreign Portfolio Investors in Government Securities to attract investment.
3. More than 9.42 lakh farmers join ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ for balanced fertiliser use and sustainable farming.
4. India slams Pakistan for abusing its temporary membership of UNSC to peddle false narratives about Jammu and Kashmir.
5. IMD forecast extremely heavy rainfall in northern districts of Keralam until June 9th.
6. Indian Grandmaster, R Praggnanandhaa scripts history; Becomes first Indian to win Norway Chess title.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that the foundation of the Indian economy remains exceptionally strong, with the nation recording a robust 7.7 percent growth in the fiscal year 2025-26 despite a global economic crisis. Addressing a large gathering after launching a series of developmental projects, worth around 2,970 Crore rupees in Daman last evening, the Prime Minister noted that India continues to be among the fastest-growing economies in the world. He assured the citizens that the country will forge ahead with its reform express while prioritizing massive infrastructure development and welfare schemes for the poor.

Earlier, Mr Modi launched various infrastructure projects worth over 18 thousand crore rupees in Surat. Addressing the gathering the Prime Minister pointed out that out of India’s total renewable energy capacity of 250 Gigawatts, Gujarat alone contributes 50 Gigawatts, accounting for a crucial fifth of the nation’s green energy share. He added that the state is poised to play a massive role in shifting from solar energy to green hydrogen and green ammonia, which is essential for achieving energy self-reliance.

Speaking on the transformation of Surat, the Prime Minister praised the city’s spirit and its transition into a Green City. He lauded Surat’s circular water economy model and the ‘Waste to Wealth’ initiative, which has turned into a mass movement over the last 12 years.

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The Reserve Bank of India has simplified the rules governing investments by Foreign Portfolio Investors, or FPIs, in Government Securities. The revised framework is aimed at making investments easier and reducing compliance requirements for foreign investors. More from our Mumbai correspondent:

“Under the revised framework, FPIs investing through the General Route will get greater flexibility, as certain investment restrictions have been removed. The RBI has also merged the existing ‘general’ and ‘long-term’ investment categories into a single limit for Government Securities and State Government Securities. For FY 2026-27, the investment limit for Central Government Securities has been fixed at ₹4,62,490 crore for the first half of the year and ₹4,77,006 crore for the second half. For State Government Securities, the corresponding limits have been set at ₹1,53,043 crore and ₹1,64,242 crore respectively. The revised directions have come into effect immediately. Ankita Apte, Akashvani News, Mumbai.”

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India’s economy has maintained a strong momentum in 2025-26 with real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated to grow by 7.7 per cent in comparison to 7.1 per cent in 2024-25. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation yesterday released the Provisional Estimates of Annual GDP for the Financial Year 2025-26 and quarterly estimates of January to March this year. It said, the Primary sector has observed 3.2 per cent growth rate mainly driven by the performance of Agriculture and Fishery sectors.

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The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said that more than 9.42 lakh farmers across the country have joined the Khet Bachao Abhiyan as of June, transforming the campaign for balanced fertiliser use into a nationwide mass movement. The campaign, launched by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, aims to promote balanced fertiliser application, conserve soil fertility and encourage sustainable farming practices. A report…

“The Agriculture Ministry informed that over 17 thousand 800 awareness programmes have been organised so far under the campaign, reaching nearly 6.98 lakh farmers. In addition, around 3 thousand 700 training programmes have been conducted, providing information on balanced fertiliser use, soil health management and scientific farming techniques to more than 1.57 lakh participants. The Ministry said that over 8 thousand 850 field demonstrations have also been organised to provide practical exposure to farmers on the use of organic and alternative nutrient sources, as well as integrated nutrient management techniques. These demonstrations are aimed at improving long-term soil productivity and reducing excessive dependence on chemical fertilisers. WITH AKSHIT and ROHAN’s report, Jigyasa Pandey for Akashvani News, Delhi.”

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Central Board of Secondary Education,CBSE has extended the last date for submission of applications for Verification of Marks and Re-evaluation till 7th of June. In a social media post, the Board said, students can now submit their applications till sunday midnight. CBSE said that the decision has been taken in the interest of students to provide them with additional time to complete the application process. The earlier deadline for submission of applications was 6th of this month.

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India has said that Pakistan is abusing its temporary membership of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to peddle false narratives about Jammu and Kashmir and it should be mindful of its responsibilities. India’s Permanent Representative P Harish said that empty rhetoric and hollow claims by Pakistan would not change this fundamental reality that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.

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External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will hold talks with Nepal Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal in New Delhi today. The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Nepal had said that during the meeting both sides will discuss matters of mutual interest, with a view to enhancing cooperation across key areas including trade, investment, connectivity, energy and people-to-people ties. Mr Kanal is currently on a three day visit to India. During the weekly press briefing, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said the visit will help further strengthen the special partnership between India and Nepal.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has turned down an offer for in-person talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he sees no point in such a meeting for now. Putin delivered the remarks during Russia’s flagship economic forum in St Petersburg yesterday, a day after Zelenskyy shared an open letter appealing for a face-to-face meeting in which the two leaders could hash out an end to the war. Zelenskyy responded later, saying Putin’s rejection of his ⁠proposal showed that the Kremlin had no wish to end the war.

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U.S. forces have struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar installations near the Strait of Hormuz, after shooting down four Iranian drones which targeted regional maritime traffic. The incident marks the latest flashpoint in a three-month-old conflict, further straining already deadlocked peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran. More from our correspondent from Dubai.

“The strike came as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran remain  stalled, with a major sticking point being Iran’s demand for the release of 24 billion dollars in frozen assets held overseas.Iranian officials have reportedly linked progress on any interim agreement to the unfreezing of funds, while the United States is reluctant to give up what it sees as a key source of leverage in the negotiations.Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Hezbollah has rejected a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal accepted by Israel and the Lebanese government, insisting that any agreement include a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.The group has also released drone footage showing attacks on Israeli forces near the Beaufort Castle, a strategic hilltop fortress captured by Israeli forces during their recent offensive. Iran has reiterated its support for Hezbollah and maintains that an Israeli pullout from Lebanon is essential for any broader regional settlement. Vinod Kumar, Dubai.”

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In Keralam, red alert indicating extremely high rain fall is declared in five districts till 9th of June. More from our Correspondent-

“Red alert indicating extremely heavy rainfall has been declared in the districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod in Keralam.

Six districts are under  orange alert, indicating isolated very heavy rainfall, while the remaining three districts are under  yellow alert, indicating isolated heavy rainfall.

Intense rainfall is expected over the next three days in Keralam.

Places including Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, and Alappuzha have recorded more than 15 mm of rainfall since 7 a.m. today. Smithy M Palluruthy, Thiruvananthapuram.”

Meanwhile, The Weather Agency predicted thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, East Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir today.   Thundersquall conditions are expected over Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Rajasthan today.

Furthermore, IMD forecast Heat Wave conditions over Coastal Andhra Pradesh for the day.

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In chess, Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has created history by becoming the first Indian to win the Norway Chess title in Oslo, with a final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer. Praggnanandhaa, who began the day in third place, secured a crucial classical win worth three points to finish with 18 points and seal the title. The 20-year-old from Chennai achieved a feat that had eluded Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand and reigning world champion D. Gukesh since the tournament began in 2013.

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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS,

1. Almost all the dailies quote the Prime Minister’s statement regarding strong economic growth with The Indian Express’s headline being ”Financial year 26 growth estimate raised to 7.7 percent; momentum strong”, the paper also adds, ”To draw funds, prop rupee, Govt scraps FII capital gains, withholding tax on bonds” while The Financial Express reports, ”Economy sprints to 7.8 percent growth in Fourth quarter”, for 2026.
2. The first tranche of ” India-US interim trade deal likely by mid- July” says Piyush Goyal reports The Hindu Business Line.
3. The Pioneer informs, ” Shah vows zero tolerance on demographic shifts ”, as he addressed BSF personnel at Lankamura Border Outpost. 
4. ”CBSE drops Coempt’s portal for re-evaluation”, with student and examination data migrated to infrastructure under the Board’s direct control cites Hindustan Times.
5. The Asian Age headlines ”Putin says Russia ready to jointly build Su-57 stealth jet with India”, suggests strong strategic partnership between the two countries.’
6. Finally, Wind from Milky ways’s black hole called Sagittarius A* has been discovered after five decades of trying. Its wind is like a gentle breeze, not a hurricane. The wind has carved out a huge conical cavity in space. informs The Asian Age.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts Indian economy remains exceptionally strong despite global economic crisis.
2. Reserve Bank of India eases regulatory norms for Foreign Portfolio Investors in Government Securities to attract investment.
3. More than 9.42 lakh farmers join ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ for balanced fertiliser use and sustainable farming.
4. India slams Pakistan for abusing its temporary membership of UNSC to peddle false narratives about Jammu and Kashmir.
5. IMD forecast extremely heavy rainfall in northern districts of Keralam until June 9th.
6. Indian Grandmaster, R Praggnanandhaa scripts history; Becomes first Indian to win Norway Chess title.

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For details of these stories and more, log on to our website www.newsonair.gov.in and News On Air App.

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