RAJPATH, SYMBOL OF SLAVERY, IS NOW HISTORY: PM MODI

“Kingsway, or Rajpath, the symbol of slavery, has become a matter of history from today and has been erased forever. A new history has been created in the form of Kartavya Path,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday evening, while inaugurating the Kartavya Path (the revamped Central Vista Avenue) at the India Gate. He also congratulated the nation “for their freedom from yet another symbol of slavery of the British Raj”.

Referring to the statue of King George V, which once adorned the Grand Canopy, where a 28-feet statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was unveiled today, the Prime Minister said, “At the time of slavery, there was a statue of the representative of the British Raj. Today, the country has also brought to life a modern, strong India by establishing the statue of Netaji at the same place.” ”Netaji’s statue coming up at the spot where King George’s statue once stood, is like ‘Praan Pratishtha’ of a new India,” he remarked.

“On the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the country has received a new inspiration. We can now leave the past behind and fill new colours in the present,” he remarked on the occasion, which was attended by 1,500 people, including a host of union ministers, artists, diplomats, MPs and several state chief ministers.

Opposition leaders and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were conspicuous by their absence.

The Prime Minister said during his speech that Bose was forgotten after the Independence. He said, “Bose had a vision, he was brave. He used to say, India is not a country that will forget its proud history. The history of the country is in the blood of every Indian.”

Modi said that India is now moving beyond the mentality of colonialism. He mentioned the renaming of Andaman Islands after Netaji Bose, and also to rename the Race Course Road as Lok Kalyan Marg. “The Indian Navy has also adopted Chhatrapati Shivaji’s symbol and shed the symbol of ghulaami. These changes are not limited to symbols. These changes are a part of the country’s foundations,” he said, adding, “If India had walked the path shown by Netaji after the independence, it would have been a different story. But India forgot its hero.”

INDIA, CHINA TROOPS BEGIN DISENGAGEMENT FROM GOGRA-HOTSPRINGS IN LADAKH

Indian and Chinese troops have begun disengaging at PP 15 in the Gogra-Hotspring region of Eastern Ladakh, the govt said Thursday. Forces of the two countries have been locked in a confrontational position in the area since April 2020.

“On 8th September 2022, according to the consensus reached in the 16th round of India China Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Indian and Chinese troops in the area of Gogra-Hotsprings (PP-15) have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way, which is conducive to the peace and tranquility in the border areas,” a ‘Joint Statement’ issued by the Ministry of Defence said.

With disengagement at PP 15, forces of the two countries have disengaged at all friction points in the region which included the North and South banks of the Pangong Tso, PP 14, PP 15 and PP 17A. However, other contentious issues related to the boundary still remain between the two countries and Chinese forces have still blocked access to traditional patrolling areas of Indian forces on the LAC in the Depsang Plains and Charding Nala regions.

The last disengagement between the forces of the two countries had been achieved at PP 17 A in August last year following the 12th Corp Commander Level meeting. Since then, no breakthrough could be achieved through the three corps commander level talks that happened before an agreement was reached during the 16th talks, held on July 17 this year.

INDIA, JAPAN TO ENHANCE MILITARY RELATIONS

India and Japan at the second 2+2 meet held in Tokyo on Thursday decided to work towards more complex and sophisticated joint military exercises even as they welcomed the move to add fighter exercises to their move to improve interoperability between all three services of the armed forces.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Japanese counterpart Hamada Yasukazu and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Hayashi Yoshimasa took part in the 2+2 meeting. India has also asked Japan to work together in emerging and critical technology domains in the military sector. “Enhancing defence equipment and technological cooperation are our priority areas,” said Rajnath.

With Japan planning to reinforce its defence capabilities within the next five years with the help of a substantial increase in the budget, India expressed its support at the 2+2 meet to work towards enhanced security and defence cooperation.

INDIGENOUS QUICK REACTION MISSILE READY FOR INDUCTION

An indigenous quick reaction surface-to-air missile (QRSAM) system that can target incoming enemy targets is now “ready for induction” into the Army. In a statement, the Ministry of Defence today quoted Samir Kamat, Chairman, DRDO, as saying, “With the successful series of trials, the system is now ready for induction into the Army”.

The statement came after the Army on Thursday carried out a flight test of the missile system from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur off the Odisha coast. This was sixth successful test conducted as part of the evaluation trials. The system consists of indigenously developed sub-systems, including the missile with indigenous radio frequency seeker, mobile launcher, fully automated command and control system, surveillance and multifunction radars.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Sep 8

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Wednesday 6,381

Active Cases 47,762 (-252)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,28,090 (19)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UK'S LONGEST-SERVING MONARCH, DIES AT 96

Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom's longest-serving monarch, died on Thursday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. She was 96.

Her death brings to an end the longest reign in the history of the United Kingdom.

Her family had been gathering at her Scottish estate in Aberdeenshire after concerns grew about her health earlier on Thursday.

The UK now has a new monarch in 73-year-old Charles, the former Prince of Wales. The new King will officially be known as King Charles III, it has been officially confirmed. He is the oldest and longest-serving heir-apparent in British history. He will be the oldest person to become King in British history.

"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," Charles, the new King, said in a statement released by the Royal Family. "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother," Charles said. "I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.

Newly-appointed British PM Liz Truss said "we are all devastated" at the news of the Queen's death, which is a "huge shock to the nation and the world". She described the Queen as "a rock on which modern Britain was built".

US OKAYS $450MN F-16 PACKAGE TO PAKISTAN

In Washington’s first major security assistance to Islamabad in four years, the Biden administration has approved a $450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan to help it meet counterterrorism threats.

In 2018, Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump had suspended about $2 billion in security aid to Islamabad for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network terror groups.

“Pakistan is an important counterterrorism partner, and as part of the longstanding policy, the United States provides life cycle maintenance and sustainment packages for US-origin platforms,” said a State Department spokesperson. “This will sustain Islamabad’s capability to meet current and future counterterrorism threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet as well as support American foreign policy and national security objectives by allowing interoperability in the ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations,” said the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency in a note.

The proposed sale will not alter the military balance in the region, it added.

Calling it bizarre, Indian experts expressed concern regarding the deal, saying a signal should be sent to the United States from India.

THE REST

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QUEEN ELIZABETH II STALWART OF OUR TIMES: MODI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid heartfelt tributes to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, saying she was a stalwart who provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people.

She personified dignity and decency in public life, Modi said, recalling his "memorable" meetings with the Queen in 2015 and 2018.

"I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture," the prime minister said.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a stalwart of our times. She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise. My thoughts are with her family and people of UK in this sad hour," he said.

NITISH, SOREN, AKHILESH, TEJASHWI, OTHERS, TOGETHER WE WILL DEFEAT BJP: MAMATA BANERJEE

Amid posturing by different leaders for the main Opposition space, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said her Bihar and Jharkhand counterparts Nitish Kumar and Hemant Soren, apart from the Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, the RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and other leaders, would join the Trinamool Congress to oust the BJP from power in 2024.

Addressing a party programme here, the TMC chief said: “The BJP’s arrogance of 300 seats will be its nemesis. There will be ‘Khela Hobe’ in 2024.”

Before Banerjee spoke, all the leaders of the TMC, including Sudip Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee, in their speeches said the Opposition parties can fight against the BJP only under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee.

The TMC chief said: “They (the BJP) always say that they have 300 seats. They should remember that Rajiv Gandhi had 400 seats but lost in the next election. The BJP will also lose. They will lose 100 seats in these states. There are other parties in other parts of the country. Soon they will also come with us.”

Banerjee’s remarks came in the wake of Nitish Kumar’s three-day trip to Delhi, where he met several leaders in his bid for Opposition unity, including the Congress. Before that, Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K Chandrashekar Rao had travelled to Patna seeking Nitish’s support for a similar front.

YAKUB MEMON GRAVE BEAUTIFICATION STIRS A ROW

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday night responded to the controversy over the beautification of the grave of 1993 Mumbai blast convict Yakub Memon, who was hanged in 2015.

The BJP has accused the former Maha Vikas Aghadi govt of granting permission to build a memorial over the grave. As reports emerged of the beautification process being carried out on TV channels, a political standoff was sparked, followed by a high-level probe.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule made sharp comments against the former govt. “The beautification of the grave happened during the previous Thackeray govt. Claiming that it “would not have happened without the knowledge” of Uddhav Thackeray, who was the chief minister, he added: “It was the compromise by Thackeray (to keep the alliance partners happy) for power and also a compromise on the agenda of Hindutva.”

Reports said that the grave was beautified with granite construction and lit up with LED lights. Amid the row, however, the Mumbai Police intervened and removed the lights while an initial investigation found that Yakub Memon’s family was carrying out the process for the graves of 14 members.

KARNATAKA HIJAB BAN: NOT VERY FAIR TO COMPARE WITH PRACTICES IN SIKHISM, SAYS SC

It is “not very fair” to compare the practices in Sikhism as they are well engrained in the culture of the country, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while asking the petitioners in the Karnataka Hijab ban matter not to draw a parallel between Muslim and Sikh religious practices.

Hearing arguments on a batch of pleas challenging the Karnataka High Court verdict refusing to lift the ban on hijab in educational institutions of the state, the apex court observed the five Ks in Sikhism—Kesh, Kara, Kanga, Kaccha and Kirpan—are well established.

A bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia observed this after an advocate, appearing for one of the petitioners in the case, gave an example of Sikhism and turban.

INDIA RANKS 132 OUT OF 191 IN UNDP'S HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX

India ranked 132 out of 191 countries in the 2021 human development index, according to a report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Last year India's ranking was 131 while in 2019, the country stood at 129th position.

India’s HDI value of 0.633 places the country in the medium human development category, lower than its value of 0.645 in the 2020 report.

"Like global trends, in India's case, the drop in HDI from 0.645 in 2019 to 0.633 in 2021 can be attributed to falling life expectancy - 69.7 to 67.2 years.

Human Development - a measure of a nation's health, education, and average income - has declined for two years in a row - 2020 and 2021, reversing five years of progress, the report said.

This is in line with the global decline, indicating that human development across the world has stalled for the first time in 32 years, the report said.

The report said a large contributor to the Human Development Index's recent decline is a global drop in life expectancy, down from 72.8 years in 2019 to 71.4 years in 2021.

NEERAJ CHOPRA IS A DIAMOND LEAGUE CHAMPION

Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Thursday achieved yet another historic feat becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League Finals title in Zurich.

Chopra began with a foul but jumped to the top spot with a throw of 88.44m -- his fourth career best -- in his second attempt that turned out to be his winning effort. He had thrown distances of 88.00m, 86.11m, 87.00m and 83.60m in his next four throws.

Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic finished second with a best throw of 86.94m which he registered in his fourth attempt. Julian Weber of Germany was third with a best of 83.73m.

The 24-year-old Indian superstar is now the Olympic champion, World Championships silver medallist and Diamond League champion -- all achieved in just 13 months. The Diamond League Finals is considered as the most prestigious competition outside of Olympics and World Championships.

He has produced 88m-plus throw six times this season, reflecting his consistency. He holds the national record of 89.94m, which he achieved this season.

ASIA CUP: KOHLI HITS TON AS INDIA SIGN OFF CAMPAIGN WITH A BIG WIN

Virat Kohli struck the most-awaited hundred in international cricket as he reached the elusive three-figure mark after 1020 days to set up India's massive 101-run win over Afghanistan and lighten up the dead rubber in the Asia Cup in Dubai on Thursday.

Kohli struck a high-quality 122 not out off 61 balls for his 71st international hundred to take India to 212 for two after Afghanistan put India in to bat.

Afghanistan were then blown away by a top-class spell of swing bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who ended up with career-best figures of five wickets for four runs in 24 balls, including 20 dot deliveries. With the conditions aiding his strength, Bhuvneshwar got the ball to move both ways at will, leaving the opposition in shambles at 21 for six. Their innings ended at 111 for eight in 20 overs.

However, the night belonged to Kohli, who warmed a billion hearts with a special innings. Virat Kohli was at his vintage best during his memorable knock

His unbeaten effort off 61 balls got him his first hundred since November 2019 and his 71st overall, equalling Ricky Ponting's tally of international centuries. He is now only behind Sachin Tendulkar (100) in the all-time list. It was also Kohli's maiden ton in the shortest format.

With Rohit Sharma being rested for India's final game of the tournament, stand-in skipper K L Rahul (62 off 41) and Kohli shared an entertaining stand of 119 off 76 balls for the opening wicket.

ALCARAZ COMES ON TOP IN AN EPIC AT US OPEN QFINAL

Carlos Alcaraz battled past Jannik Sinner in five sets to reach the US Open semifinals on Thursday in the latest ever finish in the tournament’s 141-year history.

A thrilling 5hr 15min duel that finished at 2:50 AM local time ended with the 19-year-old Alcaraz claiming a 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3 victory to advance to a last-four showdown with Frances Tiafoe of the United States on Friday.

Incredibly, it was the second early-hours-of-the-morning finish for Alcaraz this week. The third seed had edged past Croatia’s Marin Cilic in another five-set epic in the fourth round in a match that finished at 2.23 AM local time on Tuesday.

A crowd of a few thousand spectators roared their appreciation for Alcaraz as the Spaniard collapsed to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in delight after a famous victory over Sinner, the 21-year-old Italian 11th seed.

Men's Singles Semi Finals Line up:

K. Khachanov [27] vs C. Ruud [5]

C. Alcaraz [3] vs F. Tiafoe [22]

In Women's Singles semi finals,

I. Swiatek [1] beat A. Sabalenka [6] (3-6, 6-1, 6-4)

O. Jabeur [5] beat C. Garcia [17] (6-1, 6-3)

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. – Voltaire

OFF TRACK

It was a case of attempted murder, in which the prisoner was accused of having fired twice at his intended victim. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was being severely cross-examined by the defending counsel.

"You say that you heard both shots fired?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, sir."

"How near were you to the scene of the affair?"

"At the time the first shot was fired I was about twenty feet from the prisoner."

"Twenty feet. Humph! Now tell the court how far you were off when you heard the second shot."

"About half a mile”