PM and EU leaders discuss early FTA conclusion, end to the war in Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Union's top leaders, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa, Thursday discussed "early conclusion of the India-EU FTA and implementation of the IMEEC corridor" and efforts for "an early end to the conflict in Ukraine". Separately, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke to Ukraine counterpart Andrii Sybiha and, in a post on X later, said, "India supports an early end to this conflict and the establishment of an enduring peace."

Kukis have agreed on free movement, says Govt ahead of PM's Manipur visit

Days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's likely visit to Manipur, the Centre Thursday claimed that Kuki civil society groups had agreed to allow free movement in Manipur. The Centre also announced the signing of a new Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups, under which they would relocate their camps from near Meitei areas and agree to "the territorial integrity of Manipur".

3 Delhi varsities make it to top 5

The University of Delhi has made the list of top five universities in the country by climbing from the sixth position last year to the fifth spot as the Ministry of Education announced the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings on Thursday. DU is right behind Jamia Millia Islamia, which has dropped from the third to the fourth spot in this year's annual list, even as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) retains its second position.

NIRF 2025: IIT Madras tops overall rankings for 7th year, IISc best university for 10th time

IIT Madras topped the overall category for the seventh consecutive year in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for 2025 released on Thursday. Five other IITs also featured in this year's top 10 along with AIIMS, New Delhi, JNU and IISc, Bangalore, as these institutions continued their usual dominance in the rankings put out by the Union Ministry of Education. Among universities, IISc retained the top spot for the 10th year in a row. JNU retained its second rank from last year. Delhi University climbed up a position to fifth.

Kerala's 1st woman forensic surgeon, Dr Sherly Vasu, dies

Dr. Sherly Vasu, Kerala's first woman forensic surgeon and renowned scholar in forensic medicine, died in Kozhikode Thursday. She was 68. Dr Shirley collapsed at her home, but was pronounced dead at the Kozhikode Medical College, where she had worked several years.

From shipping to semiconductors, India and Singapore ramp up ties

The Prime Ministers of India and Singapore Thursday agreed to adopt a forward-looking and substantive roadmap aimed at setting the vision and direction for the next phase of bilateral relations -- and deepen cooperation in eight key areas: economy, skills development, digitalisation, sustainability, connectivity, healthcare and medicine, people-to-people and cultural exchanges; and, defence and security.

Century-old rail link from Gujarat's princely past gets a broad-gauge makeover.

WELCOME GST 2.0

Just a few weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about ushering in the next generation of GST reforms in his Independence-Day speech at the Red Fort, the GST Council, in its 56th meeting, has moved towards restructuring the indirect tax regime. The current structure, characterised by a multiplicity of rates, will give way to a broad two-slab structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent, and a special de-merit rate of 40 per cent for sin and luxury goods. Reducing the number of slabs is a welcome step as it will help reduce the complexity of the tax system, shrink spaces for discretion and bring down classification issues. Lowering the tax rates will make goods and services more affordable, providing a fillip to demand. This boost to consumption comes at a time of acute uncertainty on the external front with the imposition of 50 per cent tariffs by US President Donald Trump. Concerns over the possibility of household consumption being deferred until clarity over the new tax rates emerges have been addressed with the Council recommending that the new rates will be effective from September 22. This reduction in the indirect tax rates follows cuts in personal income taxes announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.

Teacher in a changing world

Each year, as the nation observes Teachers' Day on September 5-the birth anniversary of the great philosopher and former President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - we are reminded of his words: "Teachers should be the best minds in the country." That thought resonates even today. We believe education is the bedrock of a nation's progress, and teachers' dedication and contributions bring this vision to life. Teachers have always held a place of high esteem in Indian society. From the ancient gurukuls to modern classrooms, they have been mentors, guides and moral compasses. Our culture teaches us, "Acharya devo bhava (The teacher is akin to God)." In the hands of a teacher lies the power to ignite curiosity, shape character, and instil lifelong values.

What Rajasthan's new, tougher anti-conversion Bill says

The State government on Wednesday tabled the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025 in the Assembly after withdrawing a similar Bill that was tabled in February. The Bill is expected to come up for discussion on September 9. Rationale behind proposed law -

The Bill says that in the past, many "gullible persons have been converted from one religion to another by misrepresentation, misinformation, force, undue influence, propaganda, coercion, allurement or by fraudulent means", and there is a need to prohibit such conversion, including by marriage or on the pretext of marriage.

What's in new Foreigners Act

Over the past few days, the government has notified various Rules and Orders under The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which came into effect on September 1. The new set of Rules and Orders give effect to a sweeping overhaul of India's system for regulating the entry, stay, and exit of foreign nationals, and identify exemptions available to certain classes of foreigners.

Who are PVTGs & why govt wants to enumerate them separately

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) wrote to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) last month, requesting them to consider enumerating particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) separately in the upcoming Census. In its letter, the MoTA has asked the RGI

to capture the number of PVTG households, individuals, and their distinctive demographic, cultural and socio-economic features. The Ministry said that such information would help in the better

implementation of targeted schemes for PVTGs, such as the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN).