WASHINGTON, May 5 : India’s ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra met Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and discussed ways to strengthen economic and technological relations.
“I look forward to continuing to work together to attract more investment, expand our talent pipelines, and create more good-paying jobs for both Pennsylvanians and Indians alike,” Shapiro said in a post on X about his meeting with Kwatra in Harrisburg on Monday.
Kwatra briefed the Pennsylvania Governor on the infrastructure, digital and manufacturing transformation underway in the rapidly growing Indian economy, the Indian embassy said in a post on X.
The Ambassador also thanked Shapiro for his strong support to the Indian American community in Pennsylvania. (PTI)
NEW DELHI, May 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the approval of two semiconductor manufacturing units by the Union Cabinet and said India’s advances in the world of semiconductors will boost economic transformation, technological self-reliance and encourage the innovation ecosystem.
Modi also complimented raising the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for sugarcane.
“Cabinet’s approval of new projects under the India Semiconductor Mission is a part of our efforts towards making India a leader in the global semiconductor value chain, focussing on manufacturing, packaging and advanced materials,” he said in a post on ‘X’.
The prime minister said India’s advances in the world of semiconductors will boost economic transformation, technological self-reliance and encourage the innovation ecosystem.
He also said the NDA government is committed to making the country self-reliant in cotton production.
“In this direction, an important step has been taken by approving the Cotton Productivity Mission. This will not only ensure easy availability of cotton to industries but will also boost the export of high-quality Indian cotton,” he said.
Modi said his government is fully committed to the welfare of the country’s farmers and food providers.
“In line with this, approval has today been granted to set the fair and beneficial price of sugarcane at Rs 365 per quintal for the 2026-27 season. This will benefit millions of sugarcane farmers, while also providing advantages to sugar mills and lakhs of workers associated with this sector,” he said.
The prime minister also said the cabinet approval for a world-class Ship Repair Facility at Vadinar, Gujarat marks an important step in strengthening India’s maritime capabilities.
“It will enhance our ability to service large vessels, generate employment, boost ancillary industries and improve the competitiveness of our ports,” he said.
He said this project will contribute to building a robust, future-ready maritime ecosystem and accelerate growth in the blue economy.
Modi also said the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0 approved by the cabinet reflects the government’s commitment to supporting India’s businesses, especially the MSME sector in challenging global times.
“By enabling additional credit flow with strong guarantee coverage, this initiative will help a wide range of sectors. Our focus remains on empowering enterprises, sustaining growth momentum and safeguarding livelihoods,” he said. (PTI)
Jammu and Kashmir Karate team along with support staff.
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, May 5: A nine-member Jammu and Kashmir Karate team has been selected to participate in the 4th Golden Bharat Karate Cup 2026, scheduled to be held at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi from May 9.
The team includes Kartik Verma, Rizwan Akhtar, Pranav, Trisha Malgotra, Arnav Yadav, Sejal, Vaishnav, Maqsood Hussain and coach Sanjeev Dewan. The players are expected to deliver a strong performance in the championship.
NEW DELHI, May 5: US President Donald Trump has congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his “historic and decisive” election victory, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday.
“Just last month on their phone call, President Trump expressed to Prime Minister Modi his admiration and how lucky India is to have him as its leader,” White House Spokesman Kush Desai told PTI.
“The President congratulates Prime Minister Modi on this recent, historic, and decisive election victory,” he added.
On Monday, the BJP scripted history by securing more than two-thirds majority in the West Bengal assembly polls, ending the 15-year rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The party also retained Assam for a third term. (PTI)
DPS faculty posing along with participating members during a capacity building programme.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 5: Demonstrating commitment to continuous professional growth, faculty members of Delhi Public School (DPS) Jammu, Alisha Mahajan and Supinder Kour, attended a Capacity Building Workshop on Information Technology organized by the CBSE Centre of Excellence, Chandigarh, at IDRS, Jammu.
The workshop aimed at enhancing digital competence among educators and equipping them with modern teaching tools for effective classroom delivery in the digital era. The sessions were conducted by resource persons Jatinder Kour and Gurdeep Kour, who shared practical insights on the use of Information Technology in education.
Key topics included fundamentals of IT, integration of digital tools in teaching, cyber safety and security, and responsible digital footprint management. The programme also featured hands-on activities for better understanding of digital applications. An interactive Nukkad Natak on cyber crimes highlighted online safety awareness, while a collage-making activity encouraged creativity and technical skills.
NEW DELHI, May 5: The government on Tuesday announced an Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) with an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore for MSMEs, airlines and other companies to help them meet working capital needs amid the challenges posed by the West Asia conflict.
The scheme — expected to help in providing additional credit flow of Rs 2.55 lakh crore, including Rs 5,000 crore — was approved by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday.
Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the scheme, having an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore, would help airlines as well as MSMEs impacted by the West Asia crisis.
“The scheme has been brought to address the stress in MSME and airline sectors due to the West Asia conflict,” he said.
In an official release, the government said the scheme aims to enable businesses to tide over the challenges arising from the West Asia conflict.
“Additionally, this is expected to help businesses maintain their operations, protect jobs, and sustain supply chains. The proposed credit guarantee scheme is a major step to help businesses, particularly MSMEs and airline sector, to ensure their additional working capital needs are catered by the banks and financial institutions,” it said.
By providing timely liquidity, the government said the scheme would sustain the businesses and prevent job losses. It will also promote uninterrupted domestic production and maintain the resilience of the ecosystem.
MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) as well as airlines have been facing substantial financial headwinds due to the West Asia conflict that started in February. (PTI)
LG posing for a photograph with students and faculty of JU’s DYD prog on Tuesday.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 5: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today interacted with achiever students and faculty of Jammu University’s Design Your Degree (DYD) programme at Lok Bhavan and reviewed the initiative’s impact on academic growth and innovation.
During the interaction, the students from different semesters presented a detailed overview of their learning experiences, pedagogy of DYD, and shared their major achievements secured on national platforms and landmark competitions.
They also briefed the Lieutenant Governor of the technology-driven projects aimed at solving real-world challenges, including Agri Vimaan for providing drones to farmers for spraying in farms, Ru-stay for sustainable tourism in rural areas, Arpan- waste to wealth, Bhoomify for turning waste paper into high quality biodegradable products.
The Lieutenant Governor commended the students for their practical approach to learning and their focus on social impact. He encouraged them to develop an effective mechanism for temple waste management in Jammu.
Prof. Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, along with department heads and faculty members, were present during the interaction.
COLOMBUS, May 5 : Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has spent his campaign for Ohio governor focused on November’s general election and finally gets the chance Tuesday to put the long primary season behind him, as the Trump-endorsed biotech entrepreneur positions for an expensive run against Dr Amy Acton, the former state health director.
Contests on the ballots also will set the stage for Ohio’s third competitive US Senate race in the last four years, as well as a handful of US House races that are expected to be closely fought in the fall.
Every statewide executive office is open this year due to term limits, but the governor’s race has captured the bulk of the attention so far.
Ramaswamy, a 2024 GOP presidential primary candidate, swept onto the state’s political scene early last year as a mad shuffle was taking place. Then-Sen. JD Vance was ascending to the vice presidency, and front-running gubernatorial candidate Jon Husted was being appointed to replace him in Washington.
That opened a window of opportunity at the top of the Republicans’ statewide ticket.
Primary sets up marquee fall matchups for governor, Senate
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Though he is a newcomer in state politics, Ramaswamy’s national profile, tech industry connections and proximity to Trump landed him the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsement. With it, he cleared a prospective field that included the sitting state attorney general, state treasurer and lieutenant governor.
But Democrats also saw opportunity with the open governor’s seat, even as the state, a former bellwether, has tipped convincingly toward Republicans during the Trump era. The president’s lagging approval ratings on the economy and dissatisfaction over the war in Iran are contributing to a competitive contest.
Acton, a physician and public health expert, emerged as their choice. She became a household name across Ohio in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as she stood alongside Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during daily coronavirus broadcasts. Her comforting presence during the crisis made her a beloved figure with many Ohioans.
But the administration’s aggressive actions – including shuttering businesses, closing schools and cancelling an election – also earned Acton plenty of enemies and made her the occasional target of people upset about pandemic policies, with some armed protesters showing up outside her home. Ramaswamy’s campaign has sought to capitalise on the lingering anger over pandemic restrictions with attacks on Acton’s role early in the crisis.
Acton is unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Ramaswamy faces a long-shot challenge from Casey Putsch. The engineer and car designer is a YouTube provocateur who has trolled Ramaswamy incessantly over his Indian heritage and Hindu faith and painted him as an out-of-touch billionaire “tech bro.”
Husted is unopposed in the GOP primary for Senate, a special election to fill the remainder of the six-year Senate term Vance won in 2022. Husted’s likely opponent will be Democrat Sherrod Brown, a former three-term senator who lost a reelection bid against Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024, a contest where spending hit $500 million. Brown faces a minor primary challenge from first-time candidate Ron Kincaid.
Early voting began on April 7 under some new election laws, including citizenship checks and the elimination of the four-day grace period for receiving mailed ballots. There have been no reports so far of any widespread problems for voters related to the changes.
Republicans see some Democratic-held House seats as vulnerable
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In the wake of a new round of redistricting that slightly favoured Republicans, the state also has numerous partisan congressional primaries.
The most heated GOP primary is in the Toledo area’s 9th District for the chance to take on Democratic US Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in Congress.
The five-way contest includes former state Rep. Derek Merrin, whom Kaptur defeated by less than a percentage point in 2024, as well as an Air National Guard veteran, a healthcare industry worker, a sitting state representative and the former deputy director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Madison Sheahan.
In Democratic US Rep. Greg Landsman’s Cincinnati-area district, which his party considers a “must-hold,” the three-way Republican primary includes Eric Conroy, a CIA and Air Force veteran who has been endorsed by Trump, Vance and Moreno.
Landsman also faces a primary challenge from Damon Lynch IV, the grandson of a prominent civil rights leader. Lynch has criticised Landsman for his initial vote against a war powers resolution on the war in Iran, which Landsman later followed up with a favourable vote.
In the Akron area’s 13th District, five Republicans, including business owner Neil Patel, a 2022 US Senate candidate, are vying for the opportunity to face Democratic US Rep. Emilia Sykes.
Democrats think new House maps give them a shot to regain seats
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As a Trump-backed national effort to remake congressional maps in Republicans’ favour was underway, Ohio Democrats took a could-have-been-worse approach and passed the map they were given unanimously.
Now party candidates are crowding congressional primaries across the state for the chance to take on sitting Republican representatives, who hold 10 of Ohio’s 15 seats.
The newly redrawn 7th District in the Cleveland area has attracted eight Democrats hoping to challenge Republican US Rep. Max Miller, a former senior Trump adviser, in November. Among them is former Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2014.
In northeast Ohio’s 14th District, former state Supreme Court Justice William O’Neill is among three Democrats seeking to take on Republican US Rep. Dave Joyce. Joyce also has two primary challengers.
Meanwhile, six Democrats are on the ballot in the Dayton-area 10th District of Republican US Rep. Mike Turner. There are seven in GOP US Rep. Michael Rulli’s 6th District along the Ohio River and five in the 5th District of Republican US Rep. Bob Latta. (AP)
NEW DELHI, May 5: The defence ministry on Tuesday signed a Rs 1,476 crore contract with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to procure five ground-based mobile electronic systems for the Indian Army.
The mobile electronic systems are expected to boost the Army’s surveillance and networking infrastructure.
The ministry said the mobile electronic systems will have a minimum of 72 per cent indigenous content.
“The contract, under the buy (Indian-Indigenously designed, developed and manufactured) category, was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh,” the ministry said.
“The system will modernise the Indian Army units and strengthen the indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem of the country,” it said in a brief statement.
The defence ministry said the contract reinforced Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India in the defence sector. (PTI)
NEW DELHI, May 5: The government on Tuesday approved the development of a state-of-the-art ship repair facility in Vadinar, Gujarat, with an investment of Rs 1,570 crore, according to an official statement.
The statement further said the project will be jointly implemented by Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), with a combined investment of Rs 1,570 crore.
The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The project is planned as a brownfield facility with a 650-metre jetty, two large floating dry docks, workshops and associated marine infrastructure, the statement said.
Vadinar’s natural deep draft, connectivity to major shipping routes, and proximity to key ports, such as Mundra and Kandla, make it an optimal location for repair operations, particularly for large commercial and foreign-flagged vessels.
The statement said the project will also create opportunities for skill development and generate direct and indirect employment while enabling the growth of maritime ancillary services and MSMEs in the surrounding region.
The Vadinar Ship Repair Facility will directly address a critical gap in India’s ship repair infrastructure, as the country currently lacks adequate domestic capacity to repair large vessels exceeding 230 metres in length.
“By enabling repair of vessels up to 300 m, the facility will allow high-value repairs of large vessels within India. This will significantly reduce dependence on foreign shipyards and curb foreign exchange outflow,” the statement said.
Enhanced turnaround times and strengthened repair capability on the western coast will improve the overall competitiveness of Indian ports.
As per the statement, the project is expected to create sustainable employment, generating approximately 290 direct and around 1,100 indirect jobs across ship repair, logistics, and ancillary industries, while catalysing a broader maritime industrial ecosystem. (PTI)
