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31 Aug

India will continue to bat for ensuring lasting peace: PM Modi in meeting with Iran President (Ld)

Bishkek, Aug 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek on Monday, reiterating their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors. The two leaders reviewed recent developments in the West Asia region with PM Modi reiterating India's stance that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned. "Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We…

31 Aug

India’s exemplary GDP growth of 7.8 pc in Q1 a ‘herculean feat’: PM Modi

New Delhi, Aug 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India's exemplary GDP growth of 7.8 per cent during the first quarter (Q1) of the current financial year (FY 2026-27) is a "herculean feat". In a post on X, PM Modi said: "The collective strength of our people ensured India delivered such growth despite oil price shocks and supply chain issues in the midst of global uncertainties". "Doomsayers were doomed and India bloomed…yet again!" he posted. Despite global headwinds, India recorded real GDP growth at Rs 81.36 lakh crore in the first quarter of this fiscal (Q1 FY27),…

21 Aug

PM Modi interacts with 20 space startups, calls for India to become global space tech hub

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with CEOs and founders of 20 Indian space startups at Seva Teerth here, highlighting the growing strength of the country’s private space industry and calling for greater collaboration to position India as a global hub for space technology. The interaction brought together leaders of startups working across a wide range of areas, including rocket and reusable semi-cryogenic launch vehicle development, avionics, satellites, advanced propulsion systems, space and defence intelligence, space debris removal, and AI-powered hyperlocal weather and climate intelligence. The startup founders highlighted the rapid progress made by…

20 Aug

India delivers medical supplies to Kabul hospital, reaffirms humanitarian support

New Delhi/ Kabul, Aug 20 (IANS) Continuing with its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, India on Thursday delivered medicines and medical consumables to a government hospital in Kabul. Taking to X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted: "Augmenting Afghanistan's healthcare! Reaffirming its enduring health partnership with the friendly people of Afghanistan, India delivers medicines and medical consumables to a Government Hospital in Kabul." This comes amid India's sustained efforts to provide humanitarian support to Afghanistan, including the supply of essential medicines, relief materials, and other aid. Earlier this week, addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir…

19 Aug

Nearly 7 in 10 new EPFO subscribers are between 18–25 age group: Report

Bengaluru, Aug 19 (IANS) Nearly 59 per cent of all new EPFO subscribers in FY25 belonged to the 18–25 age group, underscoring the growing role of young workers in expanding India's formal economy, a report showed on Wednesday. The trend is equally visible across the organised workforce. Of more than 57,000 new Universal Account Numbers (UANs) generated during FY26, 79 per cent belonged to individuals aged 18–30, while the 21–25 age group accounted for over 35 per cent of all new UANs, making it the single largest cohort entering formal employment, according to Quess Corp’s latest workforce report. “The scale…

19 Aug

Next edition of Viksit Bharat Young India Dialogue slated in Delhi next year, aims to connect 1 crore youth

New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The national capital will host the grand edition of 'Viksit Bharat Young India Dialogue 2027', with the three-day youth-centric programme scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam from January 10 to 12, 2027. The event, aimed at expanding the platform for India's youth and amplify their engagement in discussions on the country's development journey and future, is expected to witness participation from young people from different states and regions across the country. According to organisers involved in planning for the 2027 edition, an ambitious target of connecting around one crore youth has been set up,…

14 Aug

Partition of Bharat: A remembrance of the Horrors of 1947

New Delhi, August 14: The Partition of Bharat in 1947 was one of the greatest human tragedies of modern times. Millions were killed, displaced and separated from their homes and families, while countless others were subjected to looting, abduction, forced conversion and unspeakable violence. Some of the most gruesome episodes took place in the Western region (now Pakistan), particularly in the regions of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), Balochistan, Sindh and West Punjab. Yet, the suffering of many of these victims has received comparatively little attention in the mainstream historical narratives. Among those who attempted to document these events was…

10 Aug

US memo highlights praise for PM Modi’s diplomacy

Washington, Aug 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew praise among Indian social media users for his diplomatic outreach, defence agreements and personal equation with President Donald Trump during his February 2025 visit to Washington, according to recently released State Department documents. The internal US Embassy assessment said supporters viewed PM Modi’s engagement with Trump, Elon Musk and Indian Americans as a strategic effort to advance India’s interests on the global stage. The February 18, 2025, analysis was released by the State Department in July under the Freedom of Information Act. The document is marked “unclassified”, rather than declassified, and…

07 Aug

India’s forex reserves surge by $10.512 billion to $692.866 billion: RBI

Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) India's foreign exchange reserves surged by $10.512 billion to $692.866 billion for the week ended July 31, extending their upward trend, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The latest surge follows a forex gain of $6.118 billion for the week ended July 24. The value of gold reserves increased by $1.685 billion to $104.743 billion during the week ended July 31, the RBI said. For the same period, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by $8.750 billion to $564.680 billion. Expressed in dollar terms, the…

04 Aug

Taxation and Other Laws Bill aims to woo more FDI, boost manufacturing

New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) The Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, aims to attract more foreign capital in the country, strengthen the manufacturing sector and facilitate the ease of doing business in the country. The Bill seeks to woo global investment funds, cloud businesses and infrastructure investors to route more of their activity through the country. The common thread is to provide reliable policy and process certainty. Overseas players are often unsure whether operating in or through India will create an unexpected tax exposure. These proposals…