J&K Cabinet resolution presses for Statehood

The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, passed a resolution calling for the restoration of Statehood to the Union Territory, sources said. 

However, the Opposition parties criticised the move, as the resolution had veered away from the "goalpost of Article 370". 

The draft resolution was discussed during the first Cabinet meeting chaired by the newly elected Chief Minister. 

Official sources said a Cabinet note made a unanimous appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "restore Statehood to the U.T. of J&K". 

Air pollution eight times WHO's limit in Delhi, predicted to worsen on Sunday

Air pollution in Delhi was about eight times the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO), as per official data. 

Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the Delhi government has formed a coordination committee to identify and mitigate local sources of pollution for each of the 13 locations in the city with 'very poor' air quality even as the whole of Delhi was breathing 'poor' air. 

The level of PM2.5 (a prime toxic pollutant) was over 117.1 micrograms per cubic metre at 3 p.m. on Friday, as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data about 8 times WHO's permissible limit of 15 micrograms per cubic metre for 24 hours. 

Spotted locusts invade farms in Idukki, destroy crops

The changing climate pattern in the hill district of Kerala poses a threat to its farming sector. 

Amid the crop loss suffered from incursions by wild animals and creatures like Malabar parakeets and snails farmers in Idukki are now reeling under the menace of spotted locust infestation. 

At Konnathady and Vathikudy grama panchayats, farmers have reported that grasshoppers in large numbers are engulfing their farms, leading to significant crop loss. 

Israel versus the UN

India's decision not to associate itself with a letter at the United Nations that supported UN Secretary-General António Guterres and criticised Israel's decision to ban him from the country is both puzzling and a cause for concern. 

The letter reposed faith in the UN and its top officials after the Israeli Foreign Minister accused them of bias and said Mr Guterres did not "deserve to step foot on Israeli soil". 

Forecasting better in India, come rain or shine

The monsoon season in India has been one of the worst in recent times, with recurrent flooding impacting most States. 

According to a 2021 study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), approximately 40% of districts in India experience alternating climatic hazards, which means that flood-prone regions are also facing droughts during the dry season and vice-versa. 

Separately, an analysis of 40 years of rainfall data by CEEW shows that there has been an increase of up to 64% in heavy rainfall days during the monsoons over the last decade. 

Modi to visit Russia next week to take part in BRICS summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a visit to Russia on October 22 and 23 to attend the BRICS Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs announced. 

The PM is also "expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from BRICS member countries and invited leaders" on the sidelines. 

The big question is if Mr Modi will hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, on which official sources said there is "no clarity" as yet. 

"BRICS respects civilizational diversity and offers a platform for mutually beneficial dialogue free from pressure, double standards or interference in domestic affairs," Russian envoy in India Denis Alipov said. 

House panel to deliberate on India's readiness to deal with 'non-kinetic warfare'

Indian armed forces' preparedness to deal with "hybrid warfare" is one of the 17 subjects that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has narrowed down for deliberations for the year. 

According to informed sources, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, a member of the committee, spoke extensively on the growing danger of "non-kinetic warfare" citing the examples of ongoing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Palestine conflicts, where these methods have been deployed. 

He contended that future wars will be fought using these tools and urged chairman and BJP MP Radha Mohan Singh, at the committee's first meeting on October 15, to ensure that the parliamentary panel closely investigates the Army's preparedness to face these threats.

Several other members concurred with the view, citing the recent spate of pager blasts in Lebanon,

which is an example of "non-kinetic warfare". Kinetic warfare typically means military employing a range of weapons. 

Non-kinetic warfare is an evolving concept, it goes beyond the usual military tactics and can involve electronic warfare, cyber, information, psychological and economic among others. Importantly, it can involve non-military stakeholders too. 

Prime Minister set to launch National Learning Week 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 'Karmayogi Saptah'- National Learning Week on Saturday, with the exercise seeking to impart fresh impetus towards individual and organisational capacity development for civil servants, his office said. 

It noted that the 'Mission Karmayogi' was launched and has made substantial progress since then. It envisions a future-ready civil service rooted in Indian ethos with a global perspective, it added. 

This initiative will stimulate a renewed commitment to learning and development. It aims to create a "One Government" message, align everyone with national goals, and promote lifelong learning, a statement said. 

Interest rate cut at this stage could be premature, and highly risky: RBI Chief

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das asserted an interest rate cut at this stage could be "premature" and "very very risky" as retail inflation was still high, and future monetary policy action would depend on incoming data and outlook.

The RBI announced the status quo in repo rate, citing inflationary concerns, though it changed the monetary policy stance to 'neutral'. 

Inflation could rise 0.2% thanks to the MSP hikes for crops: economists

India's retail inflation, which rebounded to a 9-month high of 5.5% in September, could stay buoyant this month, too, amid hardening vegetable prices, and Centre's recent hike in minimum support price (MSP) for crops ahead of the Rabi sowing season could add a tad more momentum to food inflation, economists reckon. 

"The delayed exit of monsoon rains in October remains a worry. Vegetable prices in the first 10 days of October have risen by 10- 20%, and may lead to a similarly elevated print in October," 

They expect food prices will begin to fall from November, with cooling temperatures and healthier reservoir levels.