ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rally in Katra, said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir have regained confidence in democracy, believing their votes can drive change—an essential step towards their empowerment. This was his first rally for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in Kashmir and his third visit to the region this year. Modi reaffirmed his commitment in Parliament to restoring statehood in Jammu and Kashmir.

Today, PM Modi will visit Wardha, Maharashtra, to mark the first anniversary of the PM Vishwakarma Programme, where he will distribute loans and certificates to beneficiaries. He'll also lay the foundation stone for the PM MITRA Park in Amravati, aimed at boosting India's textile manufacturing sector, and launch the Acharya Chanakya Skill Development Centre scheme to provide free training for 150,000 youths annually. Additionally, he will unveil the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Women Startup Scheme, offering financial support to women-led startups in the state.

Atishi to take oath as Delhi chief minister soon: Delhi Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena has suggested 21 September for Chief Minister-designate Atishi's oath-taking ceremony, pending approval from President Droupadi Murmu.

Atishi's Delhi cabinet: Chief Minister-designate Atishi will lead a cabinet featuring one new face and four retained ministers. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Mukesh Ahlawat joins the cabinet, replacing Raaj Kumar Anand who resigned in April. Ministers Gopal Rai, Saurabh Bharadwaj, Kailash Gahlot and Imran Hussain will continue their roles. The cabinet, which can have up to seven members including the Chief Minister, currently stands at six, with the final member yet to be announced.

India's vision for global food innovation: PM Modi's message at World Food India 2024 outlined India's food industry ambitions. He highlighted the event as a global knowledge-sharing platform and detailed a decade of reforms in food processing, including 100% FDI and schemes supporting infrastructure and supply chains. PM Modi noted the event's business interactions and a Global Food Regulators Summit addressing safety and quality standards. 

Government takes steps to ease export woes: An inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in New Delhi addressed rising freight costs, shipping delays, and port congestion. Decisions from the Ministries of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Railways aim to cut shipping costs, improve container availability, and speed up export processes. The Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) will now offer 90 days of free storage for empty containers at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and has significantly reduced loading and handling charges.

India’s hydrogen goals for a greener future: Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced plans to slash fossil fuel imports from ₹22 trillion to ₹4 trillion using hydrogen. At an event in Delhi, he discussed the hydrogen-powered Mirai car and the aim to produce hydrogen for $1 per kilogram, positioning India as an energy exporter. He also urged investment in rural areas, highlighting agriculture's role in energy production through bioethanol from stubble. Gadkari reaffirmed the goal of making India the fifth-largest economy with a $5 trillion GDP.

India targets single-digit logistics costs in five years: Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari announced plans to reduce India’s logistics costs to single digits within five years. Speaking at the Deloitte Government Summit in Delhi, he highlighted the ministry’s efforts in constructing new highways and expressways to achieve this goal. He also emphasised ambitions for India’s automobile sector, which grew from $90 billion in 2014 to $264 billion in 2024, making India the world’s third-largest automobile market.

India's digital creative leap: Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) will generate around 500,000 jobs. Approved by the Union Cabinet, the NCoE will offer advanced training in immersive technology, merging India's cultural heritage with modern tech to foster indigenous intellectual property (IP). 

India shines in FATF evaluation: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has praised India for its high technical compliance with FATF recommendations in its recent mutual evaluation report. Vivek Aggarwal, Additional Secretary of the Department of Revenue, highlighted that India is the only major federal economy placed in the “regular follow-up” category for its measures against illicit finance.

India urges diplomacy over division in Israel-Palestine dispute: India explained its decision to abstain from a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on Israel to vacate Palestinian territories, emphasising the need to “build bridges” between the two sides. The resolution, supported by 124 of the 181 member countries, was based on an opinion from the International Court of Justice. India was among 43 nations that abstained, with sources suggesting the call for sanctions and halting arms exports to Israel influenced its stance.

Apparel exports surge by 11.9% in August: India's apparel exports rose by 11.9% in August, reaching $1.27 billion compared to $1.13 billion in the same period last year. In rupee terms, August saw a 13.4% rise, while exports for April-August FY25 were up 8.7% year-on-year. K.M. Subramanian, president of the Tiruppur Exporters Association, noted that factories are operating at full capacity, with growing interest from overseas buyers. Mithileshwar Thakur of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) highlighted export growth to countries like Japan, Korea, Australia, Mauritius and Norway. 

ICMR bags UN award for health initiatives: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been honoured with the 2024 UN Inter-Agency Task Force Award for its efforts in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and promoting mental health. Health Minister J.P. Nadda highlighted ICMR's initiatives, including establishing national centres for Assistive Health Technology and conducting the world’s largest survey on assistive products. These actions are contributing significantly towards achieving NCD-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Delhi Today: Sunny intervals and light winds.

Rajya Sabha: Not in session.

Lok Sabha: Not in session.