Israel vows to hit Iran back, suffers fatalities in Lebanon

Israel's ground incursion into Lebanon to battle Hezbollah left eight Israeli soldiers dead, while the region braced for further escalation as Israel vowed to retaliate against Iran's missile attack.

The Israeli military said seven soldiers were killed in two separate attacks, without elaborating. Those deaths followed an earlier announcement of the first Israeli combat death in Lebanon since the start of the incursion a 22-year-old captain in a commando brigade. Another seven soldiers, including a combat medic, were injured.

India calls for restraint as West Asia crisis escalates

India is "deeply concerned" about the escalating situation in the West Asian region after Iran fired hundreds of missiles that hit targets in and around the capital Tel Aviv.

A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs urged that the conflict should not take a wider regional shape.

The package launched for scheme saturation in ST-majority villages

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, a package for basic scheme saturation in tribal-majority villages across 550 districts, at an event in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district. 

Mr. Modi also laid the foundation stones of a host of other projects intended to benefit tribal people across the country. The package, originally coined as the PM Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan, was cleared by the Union Cabinet as an umbrella package to implement existing schemes in 63,000 Scheduled Tribe-majority villages. 

Dharti Aaba is the name that many in Jharkhand use to refer to Birsa Munda, the anti-colonial tribal leader who built resistance against the British Empire in the late 19th century.

What special status is Ladakh seeking?

The Fifth Schedule is applicable to what are officially called 'scheduled areas' that are declared by the President. The Sixth Schedule is applicable to what is officially called as 'tribal areas' in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. 

Apart from the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, there are special provisions applicable to many of the northeastern States under Part XXI of the Constitution. 

These are contained in Articles 371A (Nagaland), 371B (Assam), 371C (Manipur), 371F (Sikkim), 371G (Mizoram) and 371H (Arunachal Pradesh). 

The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly and the Manipur Hill Area Committee for the 'Hill areas' in the State have passed resolutions for their inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. There is a growing demand for the inclusion of the Union territory of Ladakh as well in the Sixth Schedule. 

India calls for restraint as attacks escalate in West Asia

India is "deeply concerned" about the escalating situation in the West Asian region after Iran fired hundreds of missiles that hit targets in and around the capital Tel Aviv.

A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urged that the conflict should not take a wider regional shape. 

It is important that the conflict doesn't take a wider regional dimension and we urge that all issues be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy," the MEA said. 

India also advised its citizens to avoid all nonessential travel to Iran. In an advisory, the MEA also urged Indian nationals residing in Iran to remain vigilant and stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran. According to official data, over 4,000 Indian nationals are residing in Iran.

'Include persons with disabilities in AB-PMJAY scheme'

The National Disability Network (NDN), a cohort of organisations and federations of persons with disabilities, has approached the Central government seeking inclusion of persons with disabilities without any income or age criteria in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) health insurance scheme, which aims at providing a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to over 12 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 55 crore beneficiaries) that form the bottom 40% of the Indian population. 

Modi says toilet coverage reached 100% after the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that more than 12 crore toilets have been built and the scope of toilet coverage reached 100% from previously less than 40% in the country since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 10 years ago. 

Addressing an event to mark the completion of 10 years of the SBM, Mr Modi said that more than 60% of India's population was compelled to defecate in the open due to a lack of toilets until 10 years ago. 

'Surplus rains to help reduce food inflation, raise demand'

With the Kharif crop sowing up 1.5% over last year's levels by September, and the healthy Southwest monsoon boosting reservoir levels as well as Rabi crop prospects, food inflation is expected to recede and rural demand is likely to see a steady rebound in the second half of 2024-25.

As of September 30, the monsoon had yielded an 8% surplus over the long- period average, and reservoir levels stood at 87% саpacity by September 26, Bank of Baroda economist Sonal Badhan said in a note. 

Barring the northern region, where reservoir levels are 68% of capacity compared with 86% last year, all other parts of the country have more water stocked up than a year ago as well as their normal levels.