THE HEADLINES::

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists; Says, India is a food surplus country, working to provide solutions for global food security.

• In Kerala, search operations in landslide-hit Wayanad district continue on 5^th day; Army to begin deep search under the debris.

• In Bangladesh, quota protesters call for a countrywide non-cooperation movement from tomorrow to press their nine-point demand.

• United States decides to boost military presence in the West Asia amid rising tensions in the region.

• And in Paris Olympics, Manu Bhakar finishes fourth in final of Women’s 25 meters pistol; Other Indian athletes to feature in Archery, Boxing, Sailing and Golf events.   

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is a food surplus country and engaged in providing solutions for global food security and global nutrition security. He said, the government is strengthening the agriculture sector with reforms and measures aimed at improving the lives of farmers. Addressing the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists in New Delhi today, Mr Modi said, agriculture is the center of the government’s economic policy. He said, India is the largest producer of Millets, milk, pulses and spices.

 

The Prime Minister said, India is promoting chemical-free natural farming. He said, in the Union Budget 2024-25, there is a big focus on sustainable agriculture. Mr Modi said, the government has provided one thousand 900 new climate-resilient varieties of crops in the last ten years. He said, India is using digital technology in the agriculture sector and under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, funds are transferred to the bank accounts of ten crore farmers by one click.

 

Our correspondent reports that around one thousand delegates from around 75 countries are taking part in the International Conference of Agricultural Economists. The theme for this year’s conference is – Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems. 

 

Speaking on the occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India’s agricultural growth rate has consistently been the highest in the world.

 

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Today is the last day of the special Lok Adalat organized by the Supreme Court. This initiative aims to provide justice to citizens in the simplest and quickest manner possible. The Supreme Court has organized this initiative to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Apex Court. The Lok Adalats offer accessible and efficient justice, which is swift and cost-effective.

 

Addressing the function, Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, more than one thousand cases were resolved in this Lok Adalat. He said that cases related to civil, land acquisition and Matrimonial were resolved in this Lok Adalat. Mr Meghwal said Indian culture has a tradition of resolution through mediation.

 

Speaking on the 75th anniversary of the Supreme Court, CJI DY Chandrachud highlighted the intricacies of the panel constitution for Lok Adalats.

 

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Union Tourism and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said tourism has the potential to drive the Indian economy to become the third largest in the world. Addressing the gathering at the inaugural ceremony of the 7th Edition of the International Hospitality Expo 2024 in Greater Noida, Mr. Shekhawat emphasized that tourism in India holds numerous opportunities. He highlighted that Agriculture and Tourism are the two key sectors in the country that can serve anything and everything that people desire. Mr Shekhawat further said that the tourism sector could significantly contribute to making India a developed nation by 2047.

 

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has appealed all citizens to bolster Har Ghar Tiranga campaign movement further and participate in it with the same enthusiasm again. In a social media post, Mr Shah asked people to hoist the Tricolour or display it in their homes between 9th to 15th August. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Har Ghar Tiranga campaign has evolved into a national movement over the last two years. He said, it is awakening the basic unity in every Indian across the length and breadth of the nation. Mr Shah appealed people to take a selfie with the Tiranga, and upload it on the Har Ghar Tiranga website – harghartiranga.com.

 

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On the 8^th Day of the Paris Olympics-2024, today. In Shooting, Manu Bhaker finished at 4^th position in Women’s 25 meter pistol event. She missed out on a hat-trick and finished her Olympics journey with two historic bronze medals. With four athletes left in the fray, Manu was tied at 28 points with Hungary’s Veronica Major. And in the five-shot shoot off, Manu missed twice, while Major missed only once.

 

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President Droupadi Murmu will be on a three nation visit to Fiji, New Zealand and Timor-Leste from the 5th to the 10th of this month. Briefing media in Delhi yesterday, Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar said this would be the first ever visit by the President of India to Fiji and Timor Leste. He said that ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi enunciated his Act East Policy, the region of South East Asia and the Pacific has been a very special focus for India. He said all these three countries fall within the Act East Policy.

 

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A two-day Akashvani Music Concert – 2024 will begin in New Delhi this evening. The Concert will be held at Akashvani’s Rang Bhavan from 5.30 PM onwards.

 

Renowned artistes including Pt. Rajendra Prasanna, Pt. Jayateerth Mevundi and  Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt will be performing at the concert. In addition to Delhi, the Akashvani Music Concert  is also being held in varrious  cities including  Hyderabad, Patna, Jammu, Shilong, Imphal, Cuttack, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai and Ranchi on different days.

 

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The 14th Indian Organ Donation Day is being observed across the country today. To mark the day, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare organised an Organ Donation awareness program in New Delhi. On the occasion, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel falicitated the families who donated organs of their family member after they are declared brain-dead. She also falicitated to the recipient of donated organs and doctors across the country for successful organs transplantation. She said that the organ donation rate has increased four times to 18 thousand 378 in the last ten years. Ms. Patel lauded the efforts of doctors and families for their decision to donate organs.

 

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In Kerala, the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief by the army is continuing in the landslide hit areas of Wayanad district. Search operations started for the 5th day today with more than 1,300 rescuers, and heavy machinery and sophisticated equipment. Rescue workers comprising the Army, NDRF and other agencies have fanned out in the affected area in their bid to look out for more bodies. Following a request by the state government, the army said it will airlift a Xaver Radar, four Recco radars along with operators from Delhi today, for deep search among the debris. It said the relief effort is being undertaken today mainly to recover bodies and to restore essential services.

 

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In Uttarakhand, today is the third day of relief and rescue operations at various places of Kedarnath Dham and Yatra route to safely evacuate stranded pilgrims. About seven thousand devotees and local people have been rescued safely so far. To complete the rescue operation speedily, NDRF, SDRF, DDRF and the Police Department are working on a war footing along with the use of helicopters. Still, about one thousand devotees are stranded at various places.

 

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami spoke virtually to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Rudraprayag this morning and reviewed the disaster-related relief and rescue operations and gave necessary instructions.

 

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In Bangladesh, quota protesters have announced a countrywide non-cooperation movement from tomorrow in protest against the recent killings and to press their nine-point demand. They will also stage demonstrations across the country today.

 

Two coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement announced their fresh program on their various social media platforms yesterday.

 

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The United States has decided to boost military presence in the West Asia amid rising tensions in the region. The shifts come as US leaders worry about escalating violence in West Asia in response to recent attacks by Israel on Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, which triggered threats of retaliation. In a statement, the Defence Department yesterday said that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also ordered additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers to the European and West Asia regions and is taking steps to send more land-based ballistic missile defence weapons there.

 

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US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has scrapped a plea agreement for accused 9/11 attacks mastermind and two other defendants. According to media reports, the move comes two days after the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, announced it had reached plea deals with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accused accomplices.

 

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN::

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists; Says, India is a food surplus country, working to provide solutions for global food security.

• In Kerala, search operations in landslide-hit Wayanad district continue on 5^th day; Army to begin deep search under the debris.

• In Bangladesh, quota protesters call for a countrywide non-cooperation movement from tomorrow to press their nine-point demand.

• United States decides to boost military presence in the West Asia amid rising tensions in the region.

• And in Paris Olympics, Manu Bhakar finishes fourth in final of Women’s 25 meters pistol; Other Indian athletes to feature in Archery, Boxing, Sailing and Golf events.