IAS officer row Highlights: Pune Traffic Police sends notice to Pooja Khedkar

The BJP stated today that India is progressing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, using government data to counter Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claims regarding employment and government policies. This response follows Gandhi's remarks on Wednesday, where he alleged that the country's youth are demoralized by unemployment and that their future is uncertain due to the BJP's "anti-education mindset." Gandhi's comments were based on a media report indicating a decline in the salaries of IIT graduates in 2024 due to a hiring slowdown.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla stressed the need for increased democratization of global governance institutions like the UN Security Council and the World Trade Organization (WTO) during his address at the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday.
Birla underscored India's commitment to uniting emerging markets and developing countries, highlighting principles such as mutual respect, understanding, equality, solidarity, openness, inclusiveness, and consensus. He spoke during the forum's first plenary session, focusing on "The BRICS Parliamentary dimension: prospects for strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation".

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met with NEET aspirants at his residence on Thursday, addressing concerns amid ongoing controversies surrounding this year's medical entrance exam. Sources indicate that the students voiced several issues during the meeting, including the uncertainty surrounding the exam's future following its May administration, delays in the counseling process, and impacts on the academic calendar.
Despite widespread calls for a retest due to alleged irregularities, the education ministry has asserted that any incidents of paper leaks were isolated. Cancelling the entire exam could potentially harm the futures of numerous candidates who passed the test fairly.

The CBI has apprehended Rocky, an associate of Rakesh Ranjan, from Nalanda (Bihar) in connection with the NEET paper case. Rocky was presented before the CBI's competent court in Patna and has been remanded to CBI custody for 10 days. The CBI conducted raids at four locations, including Patna and Kolkata. Advanced techniques, including tracing through his IP address and email address, were employed by the CBI to locate Rakesh (Rocky).

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu held a high-level meeting on Thursday to evaluate the severe damage caused by landslides and floods triggered by heavy rains in the state. These natural disasters have severely disrupted surface communication to several districts.

During the meeting, Chief Secretary Dharmendra and other officials were present. The Chief Minister emphasized the urgent need to restore road connectivity, especially in districts affected by floods.
"Quickly restoring the roads that have been cut off due to floods and landslides is essential to ensure access to essential services and relief," he stressed.

NATO leaders are concluding their summit with a strong focus on supporting Ukraine and addressing the perceived threat posed by Russia to Europe. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden, aged 81, will host a rare solo press conference where questions about his candidacy in the upcoming November presidential election are expected, despite his efforts to shift the discussion. European leaders are concerned that the outcome of the U.S. election could lead to significant changes in American support for Ukraine and NATO. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, aged 78, has raised doubts about the level of aid provided to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia and U.S. backing for its allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will also hold a press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg following meetings with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Former Odisha CM and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik has written to CM Mohan Charan Majhi expressing concern over the incident during the "Pahandi" ritual where Bada Thakura fell on the Charamala, describing it as heart-wrenching and distressing for many devotees.
Patnaik also criticised the casual remarks made by some ministers, which he believes have added to the pain of the Lord's devotees. He urged the CM to personally ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.

AAP MP Sandeep Pathak slammed the Enforcement Directorate's recent actions regarding the chargesheet in the Delhi excise policy case, highlighting the extended period of investigation involving numerous raids. He expressed disappointment that despite the lengthy inquiry, the outcome was another chargesheet. Pathak pointed out that the chargesheet names Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party as accused parties. He referenced a specific court order on June 20, which, in his view, addressed the issues raised in the chargesheet after reviewing the ED's two-year investigation and the evidence presented.

The Meteorological Department has indicated that due to the northward shift of the monsoon trough line towards the Himalayas starting Thursday, rainfall activities are expected to decrease in Rajasthan. Over the past 24 hours, heavy rainfall was observed in Tonk district, with Nagarfort (Tonk) recording the highest rainfall at 66 mm, followed by Ahor (Jalore) at 47 mm. Additionally, light to moderate rain was reported in various parts of the state, according to the Meteorological Center in Jaipur.

Janata Dal (United) President Nitish Kumar today appointed Manish Kumar Verma as the National General Secretary of the party.

Sri Lanka’s Minister for Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman says 9 regional plantation companies (RPCs) have agreed to pay the increased daily wage to the plantation workers.

A powerful offshore earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale rocked Sultan Kudarat province in the Philippines earlier today. The Philippine seismology agency confirmed that the tremors struck at 10:13 a.m. local time, originating southwest of the coast at a depth of 722 kilometers. The seismic activity reverberated across nearby provinces on Mindanao, the country's second-largest island. Fortunately, there have been no immediate reports of injuries or damages resulting from the earthquake.

"We have signed an MoU with the central government to upgrade around 800 schools in Odisha. These schools will become milestones for the education system in Odisha," stated Odisha School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond regarding the upgrade of 800 schools under the PM SHRI initiative.

According to BCCI sources speaking to ANI, the Indian cricket team is unlikely to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. Instead, the BCCI will request the ICC to host the matches in Dubai or Sri Lanka.

Latest News Live Updates: Kejriwal allegedly used crime proceeds in AAP's Goa campaign - ED Chargesheet

On Tuesday, Special Judge Kaveri Baweja acknowledged the 208-page chargesheet which lists Kejriwal and AAP as accused parties. According to ED, the chargesheet alleges that Kejriwal was knowingly involved in utilizing proceeds of crime generated during AAP's Goa election campaign in 2022. The agency asserts that Kejriwal played a pivotal role in the entire conspiracy surrounding the alleged scam, which involves Rs 100 crore out of the total Rs 1,100 crore under scrutiny.

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that addressing issues related to exploration and production (EnP) represents a paramount challenge at present. He noted that the EnP sector offers investment opportunities amounting to $100 billion by 2030, underscoring that past efforts have fallen short of necessary actions.

Puri highlighted global uncertainties and decisions regarding oil sourcing, suggesting that following Western advice to avoid sourcing from specific countries could have led to significant oil price increases. Currently, only 10% of India's sedimentary blocks are under exploration, a figure set to rise to 16% following the 10th Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) round.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) has named Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as the "kingpin and key conspirator" and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as the "major beneficiary of proceeds of crime" in its seventh supplementary chargesheet related to alleged financial irregularities stemming from the now-defunct excise policy of 2021-22.

Alongside India, BIMSTEC includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. The retreat's timing is significant, with Myanmar's Deputy Prime Minister U Than Swe already in Delhi amid escalating tensions in Myanmar, marked by intense clashes between the military junta and resistance forces, resulting in the capture of several towns.

Foreign ministers from member nations of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) are converging in New Delhi for a pivotal two-day retreat convened by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This gathering aims to deepen cooperation across vital sectors like security, connectivity, and trade among the seven South and Southeast Asian countries that form BIMSTEC, as highlighted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is set to hear a series of petitions concerning the NEET-UG 2024 medical entrance examination on Thursday, amidst allegations of irregularities and demands for a fresh exam. The Supreme Court had previously expressed concerns over the integrity of the May 5 exam during a hearing on July 8.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived back in India, touching down at Palam Airport in Delhi after concluding visits to Russia and Austria. Officials state that his diplomatic mission focused on enhancing bilateral relations and addressing key international issues with leaders from both nations.

In related news, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday that the F-16 fighter jets heading to Ukraine are expected to be operational by the end of the summer. The deployment of these jets, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has identified as crucial to countering the Russian military, was previously reported by CNN as a coordinated effort by the US and allied countries.

Kirby also addressed the upcoming press conference by President Joe Biden at NATO on Thursday, describing it as “substantial.” “I can’t give you a time certain, but it will be a substantial press conference with multiple reporters and him by himself calling on them,” he said.

NATO members agreed to establish a new cybersecurity unit designed to alert military commanders to emerging hacking threats against the alliance. The Integrated Cyber Defense Centre, to be based at NATO’s military headquarters in Belgium, will focus on sharing threat intelligence on cyber threats to private infrastructure that is essential for supporting military activities, according to a statement from the alliance.

NATO’s computer networks are frequent targets for espionage and criminal hacking attempts. As the summit commenced this week, pro-Russia hackers claimed responsibility for targeting NATO websites.

The Washington Summit Declaration, released following the North Atlantic Council meeting, highlighted the substantial progress Ukraine has made since the Vilnius Summit in implementing democratic, economic, and security reforms. “We welcome the concrete progress Ukraine has made,” the declaration proclaimed.

This strong endorsement of Ukraine’s path as “irreversible” came after months of intense diplomatic negotiations leading up to the Washington Summit. Some diplomats had previously argued that a mere description of the path as “irreversible” would be insufficient without solid support to reinforce it.

In a momentous declaration on Wednesday, NATO leaders unanimously affirmed that “Ukraine’s future is in NATO," underscoring that its journey towards membership is “irreversible.” While the leaders did not specify a timeline for Ukraine’s accession, they made it clear that an invitation would be extended once all allies agree and necessary conditions are met.

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