 "India to host fifth Coast Guard Global Summit in Chennai in 2027")
 "'New dawn': PM Modi meets Manipur violence victims in first visit since 2023 unrest")
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was appointed to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on defence just days after being reinstated as a Member of Parliament. Gandhi was a member of the parliamentary panel on defence before being disqualified in March. Earlier on August 7, the Lok Sabha Secretariat reinstated Rahul Gandhi’s membership after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in the ‘Modi’ surname remark case on August 4. The Wayanad MP was reinstated after the Congress leader was dismissed from the Lower House in March 2023. The Supreme Court, in an interim order, stayed Gandhi’s conviction in the criminal defamation case over the ‘Modi surname’ remark. The apex court issued notice to the Gujarat government in July on an appeal of the Congress leader challenging the Gujarat High Court order. The Gujarat High Court, had, in its order earlier, declined to stay his conviction in the criminal defamation case in which Rahul was sentenced to two years in jail by the Surat court over the ‘Modi surname’ remark. After his conviction in the case, Gandhi was disqualified as MP from Kerala’s Wayanad on March 24. According to a Lok Sabha bulletin, Congress MP Amar Singh too has been nominated to the committee.
India News Updates: ‘BJP should apologise over its false claims on Rajesh Pilot’: Rajasthan Minister Khachariyawas
India News Updates: Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas criticised BJP on Thursday for their charges about late Congress leader Rajesh Pilot piloting the Indian Air Force aircraft that struck Mizoram on 5 March 1966, and said the BJP should apologise
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India news updates
Here are key highlights of the day
- ‘BJP should apologise over its false claims on Rajesh Pilot’: Rajasthan Minister Khachariyawas
- Alpha Stealth Frigate INS Vindhyagiri launched by President Droupadi Murmu'
- Noida Metro begins UPI payment facility at all stations for tickets
- ‘They have nothing to speak on Manipur issue’: Delhi Minister Gopal Rai hits out at BJP
- Digital economy to contribute over 20% of India’s GDP by 2026: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar
- Chandrayaan-3 marks giant leap, lander successfully separates from propulsion module
Tamil Nadu LIVE Updates
2 tiger cubs found dead in Tamil Nadu Reserve; probe ordered
Two tiger kittens were discovered dead in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Thursday, prompting Forest Department authorities to launch an investigation into their deaths.
Officials discovered the cubs’ deaths while patrolling.
An autopsy will be performed as part of the investigation to determine the cause of the cubs’ deaths, they stated, without elaborating.
INS Vindhyagiri LIVE Updates
WATCH: Alpha Stealth Frigate INS Vindhyagiri launched by President Droupadi Murmu
India’s newest warship INS Vindhyagiri was launched by President Droupadi Murmu for the Indian Navy, on Thursday, at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd’s (GRSE) facility on the banks of Hooghly River in Kolkata, West Bengal.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were also present on INS Vindhyagiri launch event.
Maharashtra LIVE Update
Man stabs girl to death, tries to commit suicide
According to authorities, a 20-year-old male who fatally stabbed a girl in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Wednesday has also been charged with attempting to commit suicide.
According to the police, accused Aditya Kamble repeatedly stabbed the 12-year-old girl in the sight of her mother in Teesgaon neighbourhood in Kalyan for rejecting his proposition for a love connection.
Delhi Legislative Assembly LIVE Updates
Four BJP MLAs marshalled out of Delhi Legislative Assembly
During the ongoing debate in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on the Manipur issue, four BJP MLAs were marshalled out.
Vistara Airlines LIVE Updates
Minor suffers second-degree burns after crew member spills beverage
When a 10-year-old girl ordered a cup of hot chocolate on a flight, the liquid was accidently spilled on her by a cabin service member. The youngster was apparently burned in the second degree on her left leg.
The event occurred on an Air Vistara trip from Delhi to Frankfurt on August 11, and the family claims that the airline did not apologise or pay for the medical expenses. The airline has stressed, however, that its employees have been in contact with the family throughout, that their return to India has been enabled, and that it would cover all medical bills.
UPI Payment LIVE Updates
Noida Metro begins UPI payment facility at all stations for tickets
Passengers who do not have change for purchasing tickets on the Noida Metro may now save bother by using the UPI payment feature available at all rail network stations.
On Thursday, Noida Metro Rail Corporation (NMRC) Managing Director Lokesh M inaugurated the Sector 51 metro station’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment service.
Manipur Issue LIVE Updates
‘They have nothing to speak on Manipur issue’: Delhi Minister Gopal Rai hits out at BJP
On Thursday, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Manipur problem, claiming that the BJP had nothing to say about the violence-torn northeastern state.
Speaking to ANI, Gopal Rai said," They are running away from the Manipur issue since Day 1. It has been three months now since the violence erupted in the state but still the atmosphere is tense in the state. Even in Parliament, PM Modi was forced to speak on the Manipur after a no-confidence resolution was moved, and he still spoke for just 2 mins."
Rajasthan LIVE Updates
‘BJP should apologise over its false claims on Rajesh Pilot’: Rajasthan Minister Khachariyawas
Rajasthan Minister Pratap Khachariyawas criticised BJP on Thursday for their charges about late Congress leader Rajesh Pilot piloting the Indian Air Force aircraft that struck Mizoram on 5 March 1966, and said the BJP should apologise.
“BJP leaders do not have knowledge, so they tweet without any information. Amit Malviya’s tweet regarding the late Rajesh Pilot is a sin. He along with the national leadership of BJP should apologise to the public and the Indian army as it is also an insult to them” Rajasthan Minister stated.
Digital Economy LIVE Updates
Digital economy to contribute over 20% of India’s GDP by 2026: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, predicted on Thursday that the digital economy will contribute more than 20 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2026.
Addressing the ‘G20 Digital Innovation Alliance Summit’, he stated that India is a dominant nation that has quickly absorbed technology and begun delivering answers to the globe.
“The digital economy has gone from 4-4.5 per cent in 2014 of the total GDP to 11 per cent of the total GDP today. And we expect the digital economy to contribute over 20 per cent of our GDP by 2026,” Chandrasekhar said.
Delhi Assembly LIVE Updates
Delhi Assembly session gets one-day extension
The Delhi Assembly session will resume on Friday after members opted to prolong the sessions by one day.
The two-day session of the Delhi Assembly began here on Wednesday, the first after the passage of the GNCTD (Amendment) Act 2023 on service control in the national capital.
Responding to a discussion on the services bill in Rajya Sabha earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the Delhi parliament is the only parliament in the country that does not prorogue and that it has only convened for the Budget session from 2020 to 2023.
President Murmu LIVE Updates
President Murmu launches ‘My Bengal, Addiction-Free Bengal’ campaign in Kolkata
President Droupadi Murmu voiced alarm over increasing drug usage among adolescents on Thursday, saying it was past time to find a solution to the problem.
Murmu said the national and state governments were working hard on many elements to curtail the problem during a session at the Raj Bhavan where she inaugurated Brahma Kumari’s’ ‘My Bengal, Addiction-Free Bengal’ campaign.
“Drug abuse is a matter of concern for society and the country. Due to these addictions, youth are not able to choose the right direction in their lives. This is very worrying and there is a need to work on all fronts in this matter,” Murmu said.
G20 Health Summit LIVE Updates
Wonderful initiative by PM Modi says Bhutan Health Minister Dechen Wangmo on G20 Health Summit
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates
The important thing is softly and securely landing on the moon, says former ISRO scientist
Rajasthan LIVE Updates
BJP announces two committees for Rajasthan assembly elections
The state BJP party announced two committees for the forthcoming Assembly elections on Thursday, ahead of the Rajasthan assembly elections.
The BJP announced the creation of the election manifesto committee for the state BJP unit as well as the Rajasthan election management committee.
The Rajasthan BJP’s state manifesto committee will be chaired by Lok Sabha MP Arjun Ram Meghwal, with Lal Meena, Alka Gurjar, Ravi Rajendra Singh, Subhash Maurya, Prabhu Lal Saini, and Rakhi Rathore as co-conveners.
The Rajasthan BJP’s state election management committee will be coordinated by Narayan Pancharya, with six co-coordinators.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates
Chandrayaan-3 marks giant leap, lander successfully separates from propulsion module
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission marked another giant leap in its lunar quest as the ‘Vikram’ lander module of the spacecraft successfully separated from the propulsion module on Thursday.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates
Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander separates from propulsion module
ISRO successfully separated the Vikram lander module from the spacecraft’s propulsion module in a wonderfully performed process.
The split occurred on August 17, approximately 1:30 PM.
Rahul Gandhi LIVE Updates
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Leh airport
Himachal Pradesh LIVE Updates
CM Sukhu conducts an ariel survey of flood situation
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conducts an airborne reconnaissance of the flood situation in Kangra district’s Indora and Fatehpur areas.
Gyanvapi Dispute LIVE Updates
Out-of-court settlement in Gyanvapi case not legally possible, says Hindu side Advocate
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who represents the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi dispute, indicated on Thursday that an out-of-court settlement in the Gyanvapi Mosque matter is not legally viable under the CPC. This comment came after Jitendra Singh Bisen, the worldwide head of the Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh, proposed an out-of-court settlement in the Gyanvapi issue in a letter to Anjuman Intejamia.
“It has no legal value. Order 23 of the CPC clearly states that until all parties agree, no compromise can be made. And in matters related to the country and society, where a representative suit is filed involving the entire society, even if one person or party wants to settle alone, they cannot. So this initiative for an out-of-court settlement is not possible under the CPC, as it is not legally possible,” he said.
PM Viswakarma LIVE Updates
Cabinet gives green signal for launching ‘PM Viswakarma’, says K Laxman, National President, BJP OBC Morcha
Wheat Imports LIVE Updates
India considers wheat imports from Russia at discount to calm prices
According to four sources, India is in negotiations with Russia to import wheat at a discount to rising world prices, in an unusual attempt to bolster supply and reduce food inflation ahead of state and national elections next year.
The imports would allow New Delhi to interfere in the market more effectively, lowering wheat prices, which fueled inflation to a 15-month high in July.
“The government is exploring the possibility of imports through private trade and government-to-government deals. The decision will be made cautiously,” one of the sources told Reuters, when asked about wheat imports from Russia.
Indigenous Aircraft LIVE Updates
India forward deploys Tejas aircraft to counter threats from Pakistan and China
India is broadening the operational reach of its indigenously developed ‘Tejas’ Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), extending its deployment from a regional focus to a nationwide strategy.
This expansion aims to integrate the Tejas combat jet as a prominent component of the country’s air force, bolstering its capabilities to address potential threats from Pakistan and China.
Jammu & Kashmir LIVE Updates
Everyone was born a Hindu in this country, Hinduism the oldest religion, says Ghulam Nabi Azad
Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that everyone “was born a Hindu” in this country, adding that Islam emerged around 1,500 years ago, while Hinduism is deeply ancient.
Opposition Alliance LIVE Updates
INDIA in trouble? How AAP and Congress’ war of words casts shadow on alliance
INDIA – the Opposition’s bloc taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is seeing cracks, casting a shadow on the success of the alliance. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has threatened to walk out of the alliance, ahead of its bloc’s meeting in Mumbai – most likely to be held on 31 August and 1 September.
On Wednesday, the AAP chief spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said: “If the Congress has decided to contest all the seven seats in Delhi alone, then there is no point in going to the INDIA alliance’s meeting. Our top leadership will decide whether or not to attend the next meeting of the alliance.”
Train Firing Case LIVE
RPF constable who killed senior, 3 passengers dismissed from service
RPF constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who shot dead his senior and three passengers on a moving train last month, has been discharged from service, according to an official, and he was engaged in at least three discipline-related issues, including the harassing of a Muslim man in 2017.
According to the official, Chaudhary was fired on Monday by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) senior divisional security commissioner.
According to the source, Chaudhary was a member of the RPF’s dog squad in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain in 2017 when he took a Muslim guy to the RPF post and harassed him for no reason.
IndidGo LIVE Updates
DGCA approves IndiGo’s flight services to Tashkent
IndiGo flights to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, have been cleared by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The airline announced on Wednesday that it will begin flights to Tashkent on September 22. According to a senior official, the regulator has cleared IndiGo’s operations to Tashkent beginning September 6.
This indicates that the airline can begin operations at any moment beginning September 6. IndiGo will operate four weekly nonstop flights from Delhi to Tashkent, the airline’s 31st overseas destination.
Delhi LIVE Updates
Fire breaks out in Delhi chemical factory
Last night, a fire broke out in a chemical factory in Delhi’s Bawana area. According to the fire brigade, a total of 30 tenders were working to extinguish the fire.
“Six firefighters also suffered injuries. Efforts are being made to put out the fire,” he added.
Telangana LIVE Updates
Telangana braces for rainfall as cyclonic circulation intensifies
An upper air cyclonic circulation over the northeast Bay of Bengal is expected to provide extensive rainfall in Telangana from 18 August 2023 to 20 August 2023, according to an official.
While speaking to ANI Nagaratna, Director at Metrological Centre, Hyderabad said, “At present, the weather situation indicates that the upper air cyclonic circulation lies over the northeast Bay of Bengal. During the next 48 hours, it is likely to move over the north Bay of Bengal and intensify into a low-pressure system and under its influence Telangana is likely to have light to moderate rains during the next days and thereafter. There is a slight increase in rainfall activity with moderate to heavy over north Telangana and light to moderate rains in the rest of the parts of Telangana. The state is likely to have fairly widespread rainfall on the 18th, 19th and 20th of August.”
The Met Office in Hyderabad has issued a yellow alert for the districts of Komarambheem, Mancherial, Jaishankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Warangal, and Pedapally in Telangana on 19 August.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates
Lander module separation scheduled to take place between 1pm to 1:30 pm
The separation of Chandrayaan-3’s lander module, which includes the Vikram lander, is anticipated on August 17 between 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm.
Following separation, the lander is intended to slow down, a process known as deboost, to position it in an orbit where the Peruline, or closest point to the Moon, is 30 kilometres and the Apolune, or furthest point from the Moon, is 100 kilometres.
Indian Army LIVE Updates
Indian Army’s Airawat Division carry out training manoeuvres with attack helicopters
According to Indian Army officials, armoured and mechanised forces from the Indian Army’s Airawat Division under the Western Army Command conducted integrated training exercises with attack helicopters.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE Updates
Vikram lander to detach today; Spacecraft only 163 km away from Moon
Following a successful manoeuvre on Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) attained a nearly circular orbit, putting the spacecraft in a 153×163-kilometer lunar orbit. The Vikram lander will now depart from the propulsion module on its own.
Kerala LIVE Updates
Neo-liberal policies cause for crisis in agriculture sector, says Kerala CM
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated on Thursday that the agriculture industry and farming community are facing difficult times and blamed the situation on the country’s neoliberal policies.
Despite the obstacles, the state’s LDF government is taking a variety of initiatives to enhance the agriculture industry, he added.
On the occasion of the Malayalam New Year Chingam today, which is regarded auspicious by the Kerala people, he stated on his Facebook page that efforts should be made to reach the largest number of people with its advantages.
Rahul Gandhi LIVE Updates
Nehru Ji is known for the work he did and not just his name, says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
JNU Admissions LIVE Updates
JNU PG Admissions 2023: First merit list to be released today
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will release the 1st merit list 2023 on 17 August for all candidates who have applied for admission to different postgraduate (PG) programmes in the University.
Once released, candidates applying for the JNU PG Admissions this year can download and check the JNU PG Admission First Merit List 2023 on the official website, http://jnuee.jnu.ac.in/.
All those candidates who will be selected in the JNU PG 2023 1st Merit List on Thursday must note that the pre-enrolment registration process, fee payment and blocking of seats will start on 17 August and end on 21 August 2023.
Manipur LIVE Updates
Landslides block highway in Manipur, at least 500 trucks stranded
Heavy rains produced large landslides in Manipur’s Noney district, causing the Imphal-Silchar highway to be closed and stranding at least 500 freight cars, officials said on Thursday.
On Wednesday, landslides occurred on National Highway 37 between Irang and Awangkhul part 2, Khongsang and Awangkhul, and Rangkhui village.
Officials added that work is being done to clean the road and re-start traffic flow.
They stated the landslides were caused by the recent heavy rainfall.
Maharashtra LIVE Updates
Ahead of NCP rally, posters requesting Sharad Pawar to ‘bless’ Ajit
Ajit Pawar’s group has put up posters greeting elder Pawar and begging him to “bless” his politically estranged nephew ahead of NCP Chief Sharad Pawar’s rally in Maharashtra’s Beed today.
NCP banners with images of both Pawars have been up around Beed only hours before Sharad Pawar’s rally in Parli. This comes amid a spat between the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar and other parties in the state opposition grouping Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which also includes the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT), over a “secret” meeting between the two Pawars on August 12 at businessman Atul Chordiya’s residence in Pune.
The MVA leaders want Sharad Pawar to explain what happened in that meeting, and Maharashtra Congress chairman Nana Patole said his party’s leaders would discuss it at the INDIA alliance’s conference later this month in Mumbai.
Himachal Pradesh LIVE Updates
India has a rich history of traditional medicine through Ayurveda, says WHO chief
WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the launch of the WHO Traditional Medicine Global Summit in Gandhinagar, “India has a rich history of traditional medicine through Ayurveda including Yoga which has been shown to be effective in alleviating pain.”
G20 Health Ministers Meeting LIVE Updates
Union Health Minister meets with WHO chief on sidelines of G20 Health Ministers meeting
Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health Minister, met with World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the sidelines of the G20 Health Ministers’ Meeting, which begins today (Thursday) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Tedros, who arrived in India on Wednesday, appreciated the facilities at the Adraj-Gandhinagar Wellness and Health Centre.
Himachal Pradesh LIVE Updates
Death toll in Himachal Pradesh reaches 71; nearly 1,700 others rescued as dam water floods Kangra
According to state principal secretary (revenue) Onkar Sharma on Wednesday, the assault of landslides and flash floods in Himachal Pradesh caused by heavy rains and cloudbursts since Sunday has resulted in the heartbreaking loss of 71 lives. The discharge of water from the Pong dam has swamped wide regions in Kangra district, forcing a large-scale rescue effort that has so far rescued almost 1,700 people. The district government, Army, and IAF are working together to evacuate impacted citizens to safer areas.
On Wednesday, search crews recovered the 13th body amid the wreckage of a major landslip that damaged the iconic Shiv Bawdi temple in Shimla’s Summer Hill neighbourhood. On Monday morning, the disaster buried a family of seven, two Himachal Pradesh University professors, and almost two dozen worshippers.