Jammu, May 6: “Our border villages are the inheritors of a rich tradition of courage and resilience. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have shifted the narrative. These are no longer the ‘last villages’ of India; they are our ‘First Villages’,” the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday.
The Lieutenant Governor was addressing a public rally during his visit to the border village of Regal in the Samba district today, where he initiated and laid the foundation stones for several development projects.
These include establishment of Digital Library at Government Primary School Regal, Construction of Community Hall cum Recreation Centre at Regal, development of Amrit Sarovar at Regal alongwith Drainage Channel, Installation of 03 Open Gyms and Installation of Solar Street Lights.
In his address, the Lieutenant Governor reaffirmed that the Administration is resolute to elevate the border settlements from the periphery of neglect to the forefront of national progress.
“Border villages like Regal are the backbone of India. Our glorious history was forged in the arduous paths of these border villages.
We are committed to safeguarding the dignity of every border village family, ensuring that those who have faced the greatest neglect are now accorded the highest priority in the new era of Jammu Kashmir’s progress,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted the Government of India is implementing a comprehensive strategy under the Vibrant Villages Programme, which aims to integrate border populations into the national mainstream with focus on Livelihood Generation, Infrastructure and Connectivity. He said that the programme also aims to saturate all villages in 4 thematic areas- all-weather road connectivity, telecom connectivity, television connectivity and electrification through convergence under existing scheme norms.
“Every effort is being made to ensure that the aspirations of every single citizen are fulfilled, that the development demands of border residents are met.
Furthermore, by adopting a “Whole-of-Government Approach,” we aim to ensure that every target set under the Vibrant Villages Programme is achieved,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor directed the officials to ensure that every household in the border villages has access to electricity, mobile connectivity, and economic independence.
“We must ensure that by 2030, not a single family in the border villages of Samba remains below the poverty line,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Responding the demands raised by Member of Legislative Assembly Ramgarh, the Lieutenant Governor reiterated that the administration is committed to providing land ownership rights to displaced persons from PoJK and WPRs.
He also stated that the completion of the Shahpur Kandi Dam would provide a massive boost to the region’s agricultural productivity.
The Lieutenant Governor lauded Regal for becoming a TB-free village and urged continued vigilance regarding clean drinking water and the collective fight against drug abuse.
The Lieutenant Governor also handed over appointment orders to SPOs and sanction letters to various youth of the village and beneficiaries under HADP, Mission Yuva and other schemes.
During his visit to the Regal Border Out Post (BoP), the Lieutenant Governor interacted with the Jawans and lauded their unwavering determination in guarding the nation’s frontiers and commended their exemplary role in Operation Sindoor.
Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal, Member of Legislative Assembly from Ramgarh; Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department; Ashwani Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department; Anil Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works (R&B) Department; Bhim Sen Tuti; IGP Jammu; Brij Mohan Sharma, Principal Secretary Culture; Ms R. Alice Vaz, Commissioner Secretary to Government, Planning and Information; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Ms Ayushi Sudan Deputy Commissioner Samba; Anuj Kumar, SSP Samba, senior officials of army, police and civil administration and people in large number were present.
LG Visits Vibrant Border Village Regal In Samba; Lays Foundation Stone For Various Developmental Projects
CG Power and Industrial Solutions profit rises 32 pc to Rs 362 cr in Q4
NEW DELHI, May 6: CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd on Wednesday posted a 32 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 362 crore in the March quarter mainly on the back of higher revenues.
Its consolidated net profit stood at Rs 274 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a press statement.
Sales rose to Rs 3,442 crore during the quarter from Rs 2,753 crore in the same period a year ago.
The order intake for the quarter was at Rs 5,335 crore (39 per cent growth YoY) and unexecuted order backlog as of March 31, 2026 was 61 per cent higher (year-on-year) at Rs 17,107 crore.
The order intake for FY26 was Rs 19,616 crore, 33 per cent higher than the last fiscal year.
During 2025-26, the consolidated net profit increased to Rs 1,197 crore from Rs 973 crore a year ago.
Sales during the fiscal year also increased to Rs 12,418 crore from Rs 9,909 crore a year ago.
Consolidated results include the performance of the operating subsidiaries in Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands (Drives and Automation Europe), CG Adhesive Products Ltd (India), CG Semi Pvt Ltd (India), G.G. Tronics India Pvt Ltd, Axiro Semiconductor Group and other non-operating subsidiaries. (PTI)
Sebi classifies ‘significant indices’ based on Rs 20,000-cr AUM threshold
NEW DELHI, May 6: Markets regulator Sebi has introduced a regulatory framework classifying any index as a “significant index” if it is benchmarked by mutual fund schemes with daily average cumulative assets under management (AUM) exceeding Rs 20,000 crore for each of the preceding six months.
The move is aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in index governance.
In its circular on Tuesday, the regulator said the threshold will be assessed for half-yearly periods ending on June 30 and December 31.
Once classified, an index will continue to remain in the “significant” category unless its tracked AUM falls below the threshold for three consecutive years.
“It is specified that a Benchmark or Index (including index of indices) based on listed securities shall be considered as ‘significant Indices’, if the daily average cumulative AUM tracking the Benchmark or Index across schemes of Mutual Fund(s) exceeds Rs 20,000 crore for each of the past six months, ending on June 30 and December 31 each year,” Sebi said in its circular.
The move follows the introduction of the Sebi (Index Providers) Regulations, 2024, which apply specifically to index providers administering such significant indices.
The regulator has also released an initial list of indices meeting the criteria, including widely tracked benchmarks such as the BSE Sensex and Nifty 50, along with broader market indices like Nifty 500 and BSE 500.
The list also includes sectoral, debt and hybrid indices from providers such as NSE Indices Ltd, BSE Index Services Pvt Ltd and CRISIL.
Sebi said index providers offering any of these significant indices are required to apply for registration with it within six months. However, this requirement will not apply to indices already notified or authorised as benchmarks by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under relevant provisions of the RBI Act.
Existing providers may continue operations during the transition period, provided they submit their registration applications within the stipulated timeline.
Further, entities already registered with Sebi in another capacity but offering index services will be required to set up a separate legal entity within two years to undertake index provider activities.
Sebi clarified that grievance redressal mechanisms under the regulations will apply only to significant indices provided by Sebi-registered index providers. (PTI)
Hyundai reiterates commitment to India as it marks 30 years of operations in country
NEW DELHI, May 6: South Korean auto major Hyundai on Wednesday reiterated its commitment to shaping mobility for India and the world, as the company marks 30 years of operations in the country.
Established on May 6, 1996, the company’s arm Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has invested Rs 40,700 crore since its inception, with another Rs 45,000 crore lined up between FY26 and FY30 to drive manufacturing, electrification, future mobility and introduction of 26 new products by FY2030.
HMIL has sold a total of 1.35 crore units since its inception, including 96 lakh in India and 39 lakh exported to 150 countries, the company said in a statement.
It reinforces India’s role in Hyundai’s global success – as India’s largest exporter of passenger vehicles on a cumulative basis, it added.
“HMIL’s 30-year journey is defined by trust earned over time and the pride of our teams delivering consistently for customers across India,” HMIL MD and CEO Tarun Garg said.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we look ahead with youthful energy and unwavering commitment, shaping mobility for India and the world.”
Guided by Hyundai’s global vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’, “Garg said, “We remain deeply connected to India’s aspirations, driving innovation, sustainability and shared prosperity for generations to come”.
HMIL has two manufacturing plants in Chennai and Pune with a total annual production capacity to scale to 10.74 Lakh units by 2028. It currently has 1,675 service touchpoints across 1,025 cities with over 50,000 trained service professionals pan-India. (PTI)
India, Vietnam elevate ties To Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership; Set USD 25 Bn Trade Target
NEW DELHI, May 6 India and Vietnam on Wednesday elevated their ties to an enhanced comprehensive strategic partnership and set a USD 25 billion annual trade target by 2030 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vietnamese President To Lam held talks focusing on expanding bilateral ties in areas of trade, defence, and critical minerals in the face of increasing geopolitical upheavals.
Following the Modi-Lam meeting, the two sides signed as many as 13 agreements which will provide for deeper two ways engagements in a range of areas including digital payments, rare earth minerals, pharmaceuticals, education, banking and culture.
Modi and Lam also deliberated on the situation in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, and agreed to continue to contribute to the rule-of-law, peace, stability, and prosperity.
It is understood that China’s growing military muscle-flexing in the South China Sea also figured in the delegation-level talks between the two sides.
Elected as president earlier this month, Lam began his first state visit to India on Tuesday, leading a high-level delegation for a three-day trip.
“A decade ago, Vietnam became India’s first comprehensive strategic partner in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) . Since then, our relations have made rapid and comprehensive progress,” Modi said in his media statement.
“Building on this strong foundation, today we are elevating our relations to the level of Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We will now advance our partnership to even higher goals,” he said.
“Our cooperation will reach new levels in every area ‘“ culture, connectivity, and capacity building, as well as security, sustainability, and supply chain resilience,” Modi added.
He noted that the bilateral trade between India and Vietnam has doubled in the last decade to reach USD 16 billion and that the target now is to increase it to USD 25 billion by 2030.
Modi also cited a plethora of agreements signed between the two countries to emphasis that the economic engagement is expected to witness a significant upswing going forward.
“The MoU between our drug authorities will now increase access to Indian medicines in Vietnam. Exports of Indian agricultural, fisheries, and animal products to Vietnam are also set to become easier. Very soon, Vietnam will taste India’s grapes and pomegranates,” he said.
The two sides also agreed to update the India-ASEAN trade agreement by the end of this year.
“This will provide a new impetus to trade and investment between India and all ASEAN countries. New initiatives in critical minerals, rare earths, and energy cooperation will ensure the economic security and supply chain resilience of both countries,” Modi said.
“To boost financial connectivity, we have today decided to enhance cooperation between our central banks. India’s UPI and Vietnam’s fast payment systems will soon be linked. Furthermore, we are strengthening state-to-state and city-to-city cooperation between the two countries,” he noted.
Modi said India is grateful to Vietnam for its strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack and standing with India in its fight against terrorism.
“In this era of global turmoil and economic challenges, thanks to their talent, good governance, and economic reforms, India and Vietnam are emerging as the world’s fastest-growing economies,” he said.
“Now, through our enhanced strategic partnership, we will support each other’s rapid growth. As the Buddha’s teachings say, ‘If you light a lamp for someone else, it also illuminates your own path’,” Modi said.
He also described Vietnam a a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and Vision Ocean.
“In the Indo-Pacific region as well, we share a common outlook. Through our strengthening defence and security cooperation, we will continue to contribute to the rule-of-law, peace, stability, and prosperity,” he said.
The prime minister said India will broaden its relations with ASEAN with Vietnam’s cooperation.
In his remarks, Lam said both sides agreed to deepen political trust and elevate security cooperation.
Last year, the two sides inked a pact to set up a framework for submarine search, rescue and support mechanism. They also signed a letter of intent (LoI) to strengthen bilateral defence industry collaboration. (Agencies)
Hachette India gets distribution rights for Faber, Granta Books among others
NEW DELHI, May 6: Hachette India will now be handling distribution in the country for leading independent publishers from the UK, including Faber, Granta Books, Europa Editions, Fitzcarraldo Editions, and Swift Press, the publisher announced on Wednesday.
Other UK publishers in this “exclusive agency distribution arrangement”, which will begin in October this year, are Scribe Publications, Daunt Books, Bedford Square, Duckworth, and Firefinch.
“I am absolutely thrilled that Hachette India will be representing some of the most revered publishing companies in the world… I have long admired their brilliant lists and look forward to working with them on growing their business and presence in India,” Riti Jagoorie, managing director of Hachette India, said in a statement.
While Faber has published 13 Nobel Laureates and six Booker Prize-winners, including Kazuo Ishiguro and Anna Burns; Granta has shaped contemporary serious fiction and narrative non-fiction along with publishing 31 Nobel Laureates.
Europa published Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels in English, Fitzcarraldo has had four of its authors — Svetlana Alexievich, Olga Tokarczuk, Annie Ernaux and Jon Fosse — winning the Nobel in Literature; Scribe is known for its rigorous and consequential fiction and non-fiction; Swift publishes literary and political non-fiction of enduring relevance; Daunt brings a distinctive editorial voice to fiction and travel writing; Bedford Square is one of the most closely watched new imprints in British publishing.
Duckworth, one of the UK’s oldest imprints is known for publishing accessible, stimulating and intellectually curious works of non-fiction, while Firefinch have a carefully curated list of fiction and non-fiction built on taste, market awareness and decades of experience.
“It is a great honour for Hachette to have the opportunity to represent the wonderful Faber and Alliance publishers’ lists in the Indian market. These are lists with enormous ongoing potential in India and across the Subcontinent, and I have every confidence that Riti Jagoorie and the team at Hachette India – working closely with our friends at Faber – will take their authors’ work to an even wider audience,” Charlie King, CEO of Hachette UK International, said. *(PTI)
SC collegium approves names of 10 advocates as judges of Punjab and Haryana HC
NEW DELHI, May 6: The Supreme Court collegium has approved a proposal for appointment of 10 advocates as judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, in a meeting held on May 4, approved names of advocates Monica Chhibber Sharma, Harmeet Singh Deol, Puja Chopra, Sunish Bindlish, Navdeep Singh, Divya Sharma, Ravinder Malik, Pravindra Singh Chauhan, Rajesh Gaur, and Minderjeet Yadav as judges.
Chauhan is currently the Advocate General of Haryana while Deol is Additional Advocate General of Punjab.
In another decision, the collegium also approved the proposal for appointment of three judicial officers as judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The three judicial officers are Sunitha Gandham, Alapati Giridhar, and Purushottam Kumar Chintalapudi. (PTI)
China, Iran hold talks to discuss opening of Strait of Hormuz
BEIJING, May 6: China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held talks with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi here amid mounting pressure on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz for international shipping and reach a deal with the US to end the war.
Araghchi’s one-day visit comes a week ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned trip to Beijing from May 14 to 15 for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss, among other things, a comprehensive trade deal.
Official media reports here said Wang and Araghchi, who is on his first visit to Beijing after the US-Iran war started, met to discuss the prevailing situation arising from the US blockade of Iranian ports to force Tehran to lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
China is a close partner of Iran, and the biggest buyer of Tehran’s crude oil.
Argachi’s visit comes in the immediate backdrop of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement on Tuesday that major US military operations against Iran are over.
Rubio told reporters at the White House that ‘Operation Epic Fury’, the attack the US and Israel mounted on Iran on February 28, has concluded because its objectives were met.
Rubio earlier urged China to tell Araghchi that Iran’s actions are causing the country to be “globally isolated.”
On Araghchi’s visit to China, Rubio reiterated the need for Iran to lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway that caters to over 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies.
“I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told. And that is what you are doing in the Strait is, causing you to be globally isolated,” media reports quoted Rubio as saying.
“You’re the bad guy in this”, he said, adding that China, more than the US, is suffering from Iran’s actions in the Strait as its export-driven economy depends on shipments going through Hormuz.
Rubio said it is in China’s interest that Iran stop closing the Strait, and many countries want to help open Hormuz, but some cannot do so.
Both China and the US want to see an end to the war in West Asia before Trump’s visit.
Beijing is also widely reported to have been helping Pakistan, which is currently mediating between the US and Iran to bring the conflict to an end.
Beijing, which shares close ties with other Gulf countries, is reportedly counselling Tehran to reach an agreement with Washington.
The US blockade of Iranian ports, strongly criticised by China, is putting pressure on Beijing to augment its energy supplies. (PTI)
Korean star Lee Byung-hun to headline Joseon-era martial arts film
LOS ANGELES, May 6: South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun, known internationally for Netflix’s “Squid Game”, has signed on to star in an upcoming martial arts action film set in the early Joseon Dynasty.
According to Deadline, the movie is currently titled “Nambeol” and is backed by renowned South Korean production banner Hive Media Corp.
Described as a hard-boiled martial arts action flick, the movie follows nine warriors who travel to Tsushima Island to rescue Korean captives kidnapped by Japanese pirates.
Lee, also known for movies such as “I Saw The Devil” and “No Other Choice”, will play the leader of the group.
Though not based on specific historical events, the story is set during a period when Korea faced frequent Japanese pirate raids.
“Nambeol” marks the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, whose credits as director of photography include “A Tale of Two Sisters”, “Asura: The City of Madness” and “Exhuma”.
He previously collaborated with Lee Byung-hun on “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” and “I Saw the Devil”.
Lee Byung-hun is currently filming Disney+ series “The Koreans”, a reimagining of the FX series “The Americans”.
His most recent film, Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice”, premiered at the Venice film festival last year and was selected as Korea’s submission for the Academy Awards. (PTI)
Russia snubs Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire, firing dozens of drones
KYIV, May 6: Russia fired dozens of drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, disregarding a unilateral ceasefire announced by Kyiv that began at midnight.
The Russian Defence Ministry claimed that Ukraine hadn’t abided by its own ceasefire, saying that air defences shot down 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions, the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea between Tuesday evening and dawn Wednesday.
Five people were killed by a Ukrainian drone strike on the city of Dzhankoi in Crimea, according to Russia-installed Gov. Sergei Aksyonov. He reported the casualties just after midnight, but posted about the attack itself more than 90 minutes earlier.
There had been no official sign from Moscow that it would heed Kyiv’s ceasefire, and there was little hope for a pause in hostilities as the war stretches into its fifth year following Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbour. US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the war over the past year have come to nothing.
On Tuesday, Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine killed 27 people and wounded 120 others, all of them civilians, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. The war has killed more than 15,000 civilians, according to the United Nations.
Both sides have kept up long-range strike campaigns. On the roughly 1,250-km (800-mile) front line, meanwhile, Russia’s bigger army remains engaged in a slow-moving and costly slog against Ukraine’s drone-heavy defences.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had announced the unilateral ceasefire after Russia said it would hold its own pause of hostilities over two days later this week while it marks the 81st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The Ukrainian leader said any breach of the ceasefire would trigger a military response.
European officials had welcomed Ukraine’s unilateral move as a goodwill gesture illustrating its readiness for a peace settlement.
Russian forces launched 108 drones and three missiles overnight, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, with attacks continuing throughout the night and into Wednesday morning.
“Moscow once again ignored a realistic and fair call to end hostilities, supported by other states and international organisations,” Sybiha said in a post on X.
Moscow’s proposal to stop fighting on Friday and Saturday follows a pattern of Russia declaring short unilateral ceasefires during the war timed to coincide with various holidays, most recently Orthodox Easter.
Those suspensions of combat don’t produce any tangible results amid deep mistrust between the warring sides.
Sybiha said Russia’s actions exposed its calls for a separate ceasefire around May 9 as insincere. “Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives,” he said.
The diplomat called for increased international pressure on Moscow, including new sanctions, diplomatic isolation, accountability measures for war crimes and expanded military and civilian support for Ukraine. (AP)