MID DAY NEWS
October 19, 2025 2:00 PM
দয়া করে হোয়াটস অ্যাপ গ্রুপে যোগ দিন ⇒ এখানে ক্লিক করুন
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টেলিগ্রাম গ্রুপে যোগদান করুন – এখানে ক্লিক করুন
THE HEADLINES
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Process of filing nominations for the second and final phase of Assembly elections in Bihar underway; tomorrow is the last date for filing of nominations for this phase.
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The holy city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh set to celebrate annual Deepotsav festival this evening; Railway to run over 12,000 special trains across the Country to meet passenger traffic during the festival season.
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India Develops First Indigenous Antibiotic, Nafithromycin, Says Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
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IMD Issues very Heavy Rainfall alert Over Kerala, Mahe, and Lakshadweep for next two days.
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India to take on England in ICC Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup in Indore this afternoon.
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==NEWS IN DETAILS==
The process of filing nominations for the second and final phase of the Bihar Assembly elections is underway in 122 constituencies.
Tomorrow is the last date for filing of nominations for this phase Voting will take place on 11th November across 122 assembly constituencies in 20 districts of the state. Candidates can withdraw their nominations until 23rd October.
Tomorrow is the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase, which covers 121 assembly constituencies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) have deployed their star campaigners for the election campaign. Campaigning is expected to further intensify after Diwali. More from our correspondent:
In view of Bihar Assembly Elections police and various enforcement agencies in the state are conducting strict frisking to ensure free and fair polls in the state. The Income Tax Department, state police, and the Excise Department are taking stringent action. Since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on 6th October, authorities have seized cash worth 2.73 crore rupees, liquor valued at over 22 crore rupees, narcotics substances worth over 16.21 crore rupees and precious metals worth over 5 crore rupees. In addition, gifts and freebies worth nearly 12 crore rupees, meant to be distributed to voters, have also been confiscated. Dharmendra Kumar Rai Akashvani News Patna.
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In Uttar Pradesh, Ayodhya is all set to hold a grand Deepotsav today on the eve of Diwali. The UP Government will aim for the Guinness World Record by lighting more than 26 lakh diyas today at 56 ghats of Ayodhya, including the Ram Ki Paidi. This year another world record will be attempted, in which 2,100 Vedacharyas will perform Maha Aarti and recite shlokas on the banks of the Saryu River. Governor Anandiben Patel, CM Yogi Adityanath and several other ministers will grace the event. Here is a report…
As part of the Deepotsav celebration, Ayodhya this morning witnessed a vibrant fusion of spirituality, culture, and tradition. The Shobha Yatra, which started from saket Mahavidyalaya showcased tableaux based on the seven chapters of the Ramayana. Artists from different states gave cultural performances on the Shobha Yatra route. The lighting of over 26 lakh diyas across 56 ghats, including Ram Ki Paidi, will begin in the evening. 33 thousand volunteers from Awadh University have started putting thread and pouring oil in diyas. The Guinness Book team will use drones to verify the count. CM Yogi Adityanath invited everyone to participate in ‘historic’ deepotsav in Ayodhya today via social media post. The Laser & Drone Show will also be organized in the evening. Around 1,100 ‘Swadeshi’ drones will project images of the Ramayana into the sky. High security arrangements have been made for the smooth event. Om awasthi, Akashvani News, Lucknow.
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Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the holding area built at New Delhi Railway Station is significantly improving passenger experience. Mr. Vaishnaw was inspecting crowd management during the festive rush at the railway station last night. The Minister said that the holding area, which is part of the passenger amenities centre, includes several ticket counters and toilets, allowing smooth passenger movement even with around 75 thousand people present. He added that despite the heavy rush, railway staff are working round the clock to ensure smooth operations and passenger convenience. Mr. Vaishnaw further informed that about 12 thousand special trains are being operated across the country to manage the festive demand.
The Minister also visited the mini control room, from where security monitoring is done with the help of CCTV cameras installed across the station.
Meanwhile, Central Railway is operating hundreds of special trains for various destinations in north India including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh during the festive season. The move aims at ensuring smooth and comfortable travel for devotees and passengers during Diwali and Chhath puja. Swapnil Nila, CPRO, Central Railway said.
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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the Finance Ministry is closely monitoring the prices of 54 products to ensure that the benefits of the revised GST are reaching the end consumers. She was addressing the joint press conference on GST Bachat Utsav in New Delhi yesterday along with Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.
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The GST Bachat Utsav, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and launched on the 22nd of last month, is benefiting people across all sections of the society. Today, our correspondent brings a report on the GST reforms that will boost the economy of Chhattisgarh.
The next-generation GST reforms have given a fresh momentum to Chhattisgarh’s economy. The reduction in GST rates, ranging from 5 to 18 per cent, across key sectors such as handlooms, handicrafts, dairy, and cement is boosting demand, supporting artisans, creating new jobs, and driving inclusive growth. In the cement sector, lowering the GST to 18 per cent has reduced construction costs, spurred housing demand, and helped sustain between 20 thousand to 30 thousand jobs. The GST cut to 5 per cent on Tribal and Forest crafts has increased market demand by 10 to 15 per cent and is expected to generate around 5 thousand new jobs by 2026. Similarly, the reduction in GST on packaged dairy products is stimulating consumption, supporting 15 thousand to 20 thousand jobs, and enabling the National Dairy Development Board to expand its processing capacity more than sixfold by 2028. Together, these measures empower women-led rural enterprises, sustain thousands of artisans, strengthen organized industrial employment, and promote exports and formalization across sectors. VISHNU P S, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.
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Beneficiaries have expressed happiness that reduction in GST rates has benefitted traders and middle-class people.
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Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has informed that India has developed its first indigenously discovered antibiotic, Nafithromycin, marking a significant milestone in the country’s pursuit of self-reliance in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Dr Singh said, this antibiotic is effective against resistant respiratory infections, particularly beneficial for cancer patients and those with poorly controlled diabetes. The Minister was speaking after inaugurating a three-day medical workshop in New Delhi yesterday.
He also highlighted another major scientific achievement – a successful indigenous clinical trial for gene therapy in the treatment of Hemophilia. Supported by the Department of Biotechnology, the trial was conducted at Christian Medical College in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. He said, the therapy recorded a 60 to 70 percent correction rate with zero bleeding episodes, adding that the findings have been published in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay homage to police martyrs on Police Commemoration Day at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi on Tuesday. This day marks the sacrifice of ten valiant policemen, who were ambushed and killed by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs in Ladakh on 21st October 1959.
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In Nagaland, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Naga People’s Front have decided to merge and form a single regional political party under the banner of the Naga People’s Front. Following the merger, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has been elected as Leader of the Naga People’s Front Legislature Party. The NPF Legislature Party now has 34 members in the house of 60-member Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
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Tension is rising in Gaza as Israel and Palestine traded blame over ceasefire violations. The dispute escalated after Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said Rafah will remain closed until further notice, contradicting a Palestinian Embassy statement that the crossing would reopen tomorrow for wounded Gazans and Egyptian passport holders. The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas called Netanyahu’s stance a flimsy pretext to disrupt the ceasefire agreement.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange colour warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall over Kerala, Mahe, and Lakshadweep over the next two days. According to the weather agency, heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands today. The IMD further added that squally weather with wind speeds reaching up to 55 kilometres per hour is likely to prevail along and off the Kerala and Karnataka coasts and adjoining sea areas, including Lakshadweep and the Comorin region.
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In the ICC Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup, India will face England at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, today. The match will begin at 3 PM Indian Standard Time.
Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the Women in Blue will be aiming to bounce back after two consecutive defeats. India currently sit fourth on the points table, just below England, who occupy the third spot.
Meanwhile, rain forced a second consecutive no result for Pakistan, as their match against New Zealand was abandoned midway at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo last night. Pakistan were 92 for 5 in 25 overs when heavy rain halted play. The Fatima Sana-led Pakistan side are yet to win a single match in the tournament and are currently at the bottom of the standings.
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In Men’s Cricket, after a fourth rain delay, play is underway in the first ODI between India and Australia in Perth. The match has been reduced to 26 overs per side. India were 81 for 4 in 19.2 overs against Australia in their first of the three-match ODI series, when reports last came in. Earlier, the hosts won the toss and opt to bowl first.
India’s innings got off to a disastrous start. Captain Shubman Gill, along with star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, failed to make an impact as all three were dismissed within the first 10 overs.
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In Badminton, India’s Tanvi Sharma is set to face Thailand’s second seed Anyapat Phichitpreechasak in the girls’ singles final at the BWF World Junior Championships in Guwahati, today. Tanvi booked her place in the final with a comfortable win against China’s Liu Si Ya 15-11, 15-9 in the semi-finals yesterday.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
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Process of filing nominations for the second and final phase of Assembly elections in Bihar underway; tomorrow is the last date for filing of nominations for this phase.
-
The holy city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh set to celebrate annual Deepotsav festival this evening; Railway to run over 12,000 special trains across the Country to meet passenger traffic during the festival season.
-
India Develops First Indigenous Antibiotic, Nafithromycin, Says Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh.
-
IMD Issues very Heavy Rainfall alert Over Kerala, Mahe, and Lakshadweep for next two days.
-
India to take on England in ICC Women’s ODI Cricket World Cup in Indore this afternoon.
