IIT Kanpur student commits suicide

India marks Rashtriya Ekta Diwas on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, honouring his role in the political integration of the country. Dignitaries, including the Union Home Minister and the Chief Minister of Delhi, flagged off the Run for Unity from the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. The route proceeds through India Gate towards the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, with traffic regulations reported along Bhagwan Das Road, Purana Qila Road, and Mathura Road. Organised across multiple cities nationwide under the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, the event sees thousands of participants taking part. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens, especially the youth, to participate from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Kutch to Kamakhya, and is scheduled to lead the Ekta Parv at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat.

The Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully launched its next-generation navigation satellite, NVS-03, aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Marking the 20th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, the rocket placed the 2,250-kilogram satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. NVS-03 is the third satellite in ISRO's second-generation navigation series designed to bolster and sustain the NavIC constellation. The satellite features an indigenously developed rubidium atomic clock alongside signals in the L1, L5, and S bands, reducing dependence on foreign navigation systems like GPS and GLONASS for civilian, commercial, and strategic requirements. ISRO confirmed the satellite is healthy with solar panels deployed. Officials noted that five more launches are planned for the financial year alongside preparations for the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission.

The Indian Space Research Organisation is preparing to launch its GSLV-F18 rocket from the second launchpad at Sriharikota. The mission carries the NVS-03 satellite, the third spacecraft in India's next-generation navigation satellite series. The satellite is designed to strengthen NavIC, the country's independent regional navigation system, and will help ensure the continuity of navigation services for users across India and beyond.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cited a World Bank report to praise the Modi government's efforts in combating poverty while launching a sharp attack on the previous United Progressive Alliance administration. Adityanath questioned the state of India prior to 2014, alleging that the country was plagued by filth, poverty, chaos, corruption, insecurity, and disorder. He claimed that the youth were absent from the governance agenda during the UPA era and accused the Congress of treating poor citizens merely as a vote bank. Referencing World Bank data indicating that 49.6 crore individuals have been lifted out of poverty, he asserted that India has shifted from witnessing rapid poverty increases to becoming one of the fastest poverty-reducing nations globally.