newspoint

The Election Commission (ECI) has ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 States and three Union Territories with the 1st of January next year as the qualifying date. These states and UTs are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, []

In a move offering relief to several countries, including India, US President Donald Trump has waived key sanctions and tariffs linked to Russian exports. Trump signed an executive order on Friday waiving US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russias energy revenues. The measures included duties on Russian goods and penalties for countries purchasing Russian oil and []

India has expressed deep concern over an attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, in the United States, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighting rising cases of hate crimes and racial discrimination against the Indian community. Addressing the media, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the incident was a matter of []

Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted Indias resilience amidst global economic turbulence and geopolitical disruptions. He noted that the country successfully maintained the continuity of essential fuel supplies during recent West Asian crises by diversifying energy sources and bolstering domestic capacities. Mr Puri said this while addressing the national conference on Pathways []

BJP President Nitin Nabin has strongly criticised the opposition, accusing it of attempting to destabilise the country in collusion with foreign powers. In a social media post, Mr Nabin alleged that the use of the term regime change exposed its agenda. He also alleged that the oppositions fight is not for electoral reforms, the SIR, []

In a bid to facilitate timely updates on India-U.S. trade events, the Consulate General of India in New York on October 13 announced the launch of a dedicated WhatsApp Broadcast Channel. The channel will provide Indian exporters, U.S. importers, business members and other stakeholders with timely notifications and updates on upcoming trade events, business opportunities, []

EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar spoke about Indias trade negotiations with the United States at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, saying they are moving in the right direction. He also signaled continued efforts to finalise an agreement despite differences over tariffs and market access. EAM Jaishankars remarks followed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greers assessment earlier this []

US President Donald Trump on Monday defended a diesel oil deal he made with Russia, despite bipartisan concerns that it may violate US sanctions law over the conflcit in Ukraine. Trump has said the deal to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports would help bring down high fuel prices. The Trump administration temporarily eased sanctions []

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of Czech Republic Mr Karel Havlek in New Delhi on October 13, 2026. During the interaction, both leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of defence industrial cooperation between the two countries. While the two sides welcomed the []

Indias Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal addressed the Joint Economic and Trade Committee Business Plenary alongside UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Trade Jonathan Reynolds in New Delhi on Monday. The minister highlighted how the India-UK CETA marks a significant milestone in the economic partnership, bringing together Indias growing manufacturing capabilities, digital []

Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant has said that the doors of the Supreme Court are open to everyone and that petitions from any common citizen or member of an elected body are welcome. He said every Indian citizen has the right to approach the Court, which will hear their concerns and grant whatever []

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 11 October. At around 11:30 AM, he will undertake a ride on the Chennai Metro from Porur Bypass Station to Poonamallee Bypass Station and back. At around 12:15 PM, he will perform Darshan and Pooja at the Jalakandeswarar Temple in Chennai. Thereafter, he will undertake []

Switzerlands glaciers lost more than 5% of their ice in 2026, marking another year of rapid decline. According to the latest Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland report, the countrys glaciers have lost nearly 20% of their mass over the past 5 years, with 2026 recording the second-largest annual melt on record. Matthias Huss, head of the []

The 2nd IndiaItaly Joint Working Group (JWG) on Tourism was held on 29 September 2026, co-chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and Ms. Emanuela Tripi, Secretary-General, Ministry of Tourism, Italy. The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of External Affairs, Embassy of India []

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has described 2026 as a historic year for the Indian Navy, with plans for the induction or commissioning of 18 warships during the year. Addressing the second edition of the Indian Navys biannual Commanders Conference 2026 in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Singh said that the developments reflected the growing maturity of []

The Government of India will undertake Special Campaign 6.0 from 2 October to 31 October 2026, with emphasis on Swachhata (cleanliness) and reduction of pendency in government activities. The campaign will also focus on effective management of records, efficient utilisation of office space and scientific disposal of e-waste generated in government offices. The annual campaign []

The Election Commission today issued notification for biennial elections for 11 Rajya Sabha seats. This includes ten seats in Uttar Pradesh and one seat in Uttrakhand. BJP leaders and Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, B L Verma, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Ramji of BSP and six others are completing their terms on 25th []

The FASTag Annual Pass has crossed the significant milestone of one crore passes issued after its launch on 15th August last year. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that the milestone reflects growing acceptance of the Annual Pass among private vehicle owners for providing a seamless and economical travel option on the National []

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday reviewed Delhis Air Pollution Mitigation Action Plan with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and assessed the progress of measures being taken to control air pollution in the national capital. The meeting focused on preparations for the winter season and coordinated action against key sources of pollution. The minister directed []

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit out at the Opposition parties for allegedly attempting to malign and weaken the nations autonomous and constitutional institutions. Talking to the media in New Delhi, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda accused Opposition leaders of misleading the public and attempting to create confusion in the country. He []

Pakistan has tightened security in Islamabad ahead of a planned September 27 march by supporters of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Pakistani authorities have blocked major highways with shipping containers and deployed thousands of security personnel. Three of Khans sisters and hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists have been detained in recent days, with []

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar co-chaired the L.69 Consultative Ministerial Interaction on UNSC reform, along with his Saint Lucian counterpart Alva Baptist. Addressing the meeting, Dr Jaishankar noted that the Global South is at the receiving end of the unprecedented changes that the world is undergoing, with the UN falling short of expectations. He []

US President Donald Trump has defended his administrations military action against Iran in an address to the 81st UN General Assembly in New York yesterday. He urged countries to maintain economic pressure on Tehran and said Iran faces a choice between reaching a deal and facing further US military action. Mr Trump said the United []

President Droupadi Murmu honored Yami Gautam with the Silver Lotus Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the Hindi film Article 370 at the 72nd National Film Awards. The National Film Awards are the countrys most prestigious honors for excellence in cinema. Instituted in 1954, they are conferred every year by the Ministry []

On relations between China and the United States, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is closely monitoring developments and that they could impact bilateral relations. Jaiswal said India does not comment on other countries, but follows developments taking place globally and keeps a close watch on them. He said discussions have taken []

In a historic ceremony held against the grand backdrop of the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards, honouring cinematic excellence for the year 2024 across feature, non-feature, and writing categories. A total of 92 awardees were recognized during the event. Legendary actor Anant Nag was []

US President Donald Trump has said his administration strongly supports the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. He said there is a need to shift Middle East energy infrastructure away from Iranian checkpoints amid multiple strikes on West Asian countries during the war. President Trump made the remarks while addressing a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council and []

G7 nations called on Yemens Houthis on Monday to halt strikes on Saudi Arabia, offering a show of solidarity with Riyadh as the Tehran-backed fighters have added a new threat to the West Asia war. The ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, in a statement, condemned in the strongest []

The US has warned that all Iranian airlines could be effectively shut out of international travel from Wednesday, as Washington threatens secondary sanctions against foreign companies that continue to provide services to Irans carriers. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the warning also applies to foreign airports, fuel suppliers, ticketing companies and other businesses involved []

The Election Commission today announced the biennial elections for 11 Rajya Sabha seats. This includes ten seats in Uttar Pradesh and one seat in Uttarakhand. Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, B L Verma, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Ramji of BSP and six others are completing their terms on 25th November. Naresh Bansal from []

The Uttar Pradesh government has carried out a major administrative reshuffle, transferring 34 IAS officers last night. District Magistrates of 14 districts have also been changed. According to the transfer order, several senior officers have been assigned new responsibilities, along with changes in the district administration. The districts where new District Magistrates have been appointed []

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed regional and global issues with his foreign counterparts as he held a series of bilateral meetings on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session in New York. Mr Jaishankar arrived in New York City on Sunday, leading the Indian delegation for the 81st session of the UN []

The Election Commission plans to increase the number of tribunals in West Bengal to ensure speedy disposal of applications from people whose names have been excluded from the electoral rolls during the SIR process. The state currently has 19 tribunals. Our correspondent reports the Commission is expected to tell the Supreme Court today that the []

India opened its shooting campaign at the Asian Games with a silver medal in the womens 10-metre air rifle team event on Sunday. Sonam Maskar, Elavenil Valarivan and Vidarsa Vinod combined to finish second behind a dominant Chinese team, which shattered the qualification world record. The Indian trio faced a close contest with hosts Japan []

President Droupadi Murmu will be on a three day visit to Gujarat from 21 to 23 Sep. She will preside over the presentation ceremony of the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the President will grace the 75th annual convocation ceremony of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda at []

Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly appointed youth in various government organizations at the 20th Rozgar Mela today via video conferencing. Addressing on the occasion, he emphasized that this milestone brings immense joy to thousands of families, serving as a tribute to both the personal hard work of the []

US President Donald Trump said he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of spreading fake news about his administration. Trump did not specify what prompted the move, but said that media outlets shouldnt be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies while covering the President []

The 25th Meeting of Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States Responsible for Foreign Economic and Trade Activities was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 17 September 2026. The Meeting reviewed ongoing cooperation among SCO Member States in the areas of economic and trade activities and exchanged views on measures to further deepen trade []

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the International Conference on The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics on 19 September 2026 at around 10 AM at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The two-day Conference is being organised by the National Green Tribunal on 19 and 20 September 2026. It will witness the participation of environmental experts, []

For a third time, the U.S. House has voted to end the war in Iran, approving a war powers resolution that would halt President Donald Trumps ability to continue military action without congressional approval. The bill, now called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 to honor the South Carolina Republican, []

The European Union is moving toward tighter rules on childrens access to social media, with the European Commission proposing a ban for children under 13 and stricter controls for teenagers. The proposed EU Kids Act would also place greater responsibility on technology companies to protect young users. Under the proposal, children aged 13 and 14 []

President Droupadi Murmu extended her greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday. In a post on X, she wrote that over the past 25 years, PM Modi has established many new benchmarks of good governance and imparted unprecedented momentum and a new direction to inclusive development. #PMModiBirthday #NarendraModi #PMModi #PresidentOfIndia #DraupdiMurmu #BJP #SevaSankalpAbhiyan []

The Delhi Government will organise four major programmes today on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday. The programmes are centred on service, dedication and public participation. Additionally, to mark the completion of 25 years of Prime Minister Modis public life, the Delhi government will launch a month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan. During this period, []

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union will use every possible means to reduce its unsustainable trade deficit with China. Von der Leyen said the imbalance had reached a tipping point, with the EUs goods trade deficit with China exceeding one billion dollars a day last year. She said Europe was []

In another significant step towards strengthening health cooperation with Indias Global South partners, India dispatched a consignment of 10 tons of Anti-Retroviral medicines to Botswana on September 15. These medicines will be used for HIV/AIDS treatment. Sharing the update on social media platform X, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar stated, Dispatched 10 tons of []

Bangladesh Election Commission has decided to hold Union Parishad elections across the country in 7 phases, with the first phase likely to be held on November 12. Election Commissioner said that authorities aim to conduct swift voting around 4,272 Union Parishads out of total 4,580 as there is a legal obligation to hold elections within []

Delhi Government has announced to double the fixed monthly incentive for ASHA workers from three thousand rupees to six thousand rupees. This decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in New Delhi yesterday. She said that the increase in the monthly incentive was an important step towards recognising ASHA []

The new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) framework introduced has no impact on any person to person transactions. UPI will continue to remain completely free for all person-to-person transactions, irrespective of the amount transferred. Payments to merchants up to Rupees 2,000, along with transactions covered under the zero-Merchant Discount Rate or MDR framework for small merchants, []

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the fifth edition of SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, on Wednesday. It will bring together over 600 exhibitors, 300 International Companies and delegations from more than 40 countries. The exhibition will feature six country pavilions and twelve State Government pavilions, along with a dedicated Startup Pavilion. SEMICON []

The Meeting planned on Monday between Iran and the Gulf countries to discuss arrangements for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, has been postponed. Omans Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi announced the development late Sunday evening. He said the regional meeting scheduled for Monday in Salalah has been postponed in the interest of []