The Government has announced 26 percent increase in rates for advertisements in Print Media. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a statement said that media rates for print media per square centimetre for one lakh copies of dailies in the black and white advertisement have been enhanced from 47 rupees 40 paise to 59 rupees 68 paise. The government had constituted the 9th Rate Structure Committee in 2021 for making recommendations regarding revision in rates for Government advertisements in print media. The Ministry added that the government has also agreed to the recommendations of the Committee relating to premium rates to be offered for colour advertisements, preferential positioning.

Increasing the rates for Government advertisements in print media will yield several significant benefits, both for the government and the media landscape. Higher rates for government advertisements will provide essential revenue support to print media, especially in an era of competition from various other media platforms and in view of escalation in cost in the last few years. This can help sustain operations, maintain quality journalism, and support local news initiatives. By boosting financial stability, print media can invest in better content and serve the public interest more effectively. Recognizing the value of print media in a diversified media ecosystem, the government can better target its communications strategies, ensuring that they reach citizens effectively across various platforms.

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) announced two major scientific advancements with significant applications in healthcare and rare-earth research.

DAE, in collaboration with Cologenesis Pvt. Ltd., launched ColoNoX, India’s first nitric-oxide-releasing wound dressing for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and clinically validated through Phase II and III trials, the dressing has now received DCGI approval for commercial manufacturing.

DAE Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty said the innovation will provide affordable and effective treatment options for diabetic patients and reflects the department’s commitment to applying nuclear science for societal benefit.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) in Faridabad, Haryana. The Northern Zonal Council comprises the states and UTs of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Chandigarh. At the beginning of the meeting, tributes were paid to those who lost their lives in the recent car bomb blast in Delhi and the explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir. During the meeting, the Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eliminating terrorism from its roots is government’s collective commitment. He said that in the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast will be traced even from the netherworld, brought before the country’s judicial system, and given the strictest possible punishment.

Mr Shah said that strong states create a strong nation, and Zonal Councils play a very important role in translating this into reality on the ground. He added that Zonal Councils are extremely important for dialogue, cooperation, coordination, and policy synergy. He said, many types of problems have been resolved through these councils. He said, safety of women and children is government’s top priority and for this the number of Fast Track Special Courts should be increased. The Union Minister said that Ministry of Cooperation has initiated 57 measures across the country to strengthen the cooperative sector. 

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah today chaired the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council (NZC) in Faridabad, Haryana. The Northern Zonal Council comprises the states and UTs of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Chandigarh. At the beginning of the meeting, tributes were paid to those who lost their lives in the recent car bomb blast in Delhi and the explosion at Nowgam Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir. During the meeting, the Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, eliminating terrorism from its roots is government’s collective commitment. He said that in the culprits of the Delhi bomb blast will be traced even from the netherworld, brought before the country’s judicial system, and given the strictest possible punishment.

Mr Shah said that strong states create a strong nation, and Zonal Councils play a very important role in translating this into reality on the ground. He added that Zonal Councils are extremely important for dialogue, cooperation, coordination, and policy synergy. He said, many types of problems have been resolved through these councils. He said, safety of women and children is government’s top priority and for this the number of Fast Track Special Courts should be increased. The Union Minister said that Ministry of Cooperation has initiated 57 measures across the country to strengthen the cooperative sector. 

Violent weather brought on by Storm Claudia killed three people and injured dozens in Portugal, authorities there said on Saturday, while in Britain rescue workers were organising evacuations due to heavy flooding in Wales and England.

Portugal and parts of neighbouring Spain have faced days of extreme conditions brought on by Storm Claudia, which had reached parts of Britain and Ireland by Saturday.

Rescue workers found the bodies of an elderly couple inside their flooded home in Fernao Ferro, across the River Tagus from Lisbon, on Thursday. They had apparently been sleeping and were unable to flee as the water rose during the night.

Indian public sector oil companies have signed a one-year deal to import Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, from the United States. In a social media post, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the companies will import around 2.2 million tonnes per annum of LPG, which will be sourced from the US Gulf Coast. He said the government has been diversifying its LPG sourcing to provide secure, affordable supplies of LPG to the citizens. Mr Puri informed that a team of officials from Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited had visited the US and engaged in discussions with major US producers over the last few months.

The Minister underscored that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian PSU oil companies have been providing LPG at the lowest global prices to people in the country. Mr Puri emphasised that even as global prices soared by over 60 per cent last year, Prime Minister Modi ensured that the Ujjwala consumers continued to receive LPG cylinders at just 500 to 550 rupees, whereas the actual cost of the cylinder was over one thousand one hundred rupees. The Minister said the government of India incurred the cost of over 40 thousand crore rupees last year to ensure that the women of the country did not feel the burden of rising international LPG prices.

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) among persons of age 15 years and above increased for the fourth successive month to 55.4 per cent in October this year, hitting a six-month high. The LFPR in rural areas also increased to 57.8 per cent last month while in urban areas it dipped to 50.5 per cent. LFPR is an estimate of the number of people actively engaged in the workforce, in Current Weekly Status (CWS).

According to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) monthly labour force and unemployment data, India’s Unemployment Rate (UR), remained unchanged at 5.2 per cent in October, for individuals aged 15 years and above. As per the data, a marginal decline in the rural unemployment rate, from 4.6 per cent in September to 4.4 per cent last month, coupled with a moderate rise in urban UR from 6.8 per cent to 7.0 per cent, resulted in overall stability in the unemployment rate. The overall unemployment rate for female declined marginally to 5.4 per cent while the male unemployment rate remained stable at 5.1 per cent.

The overall Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for individuals aged 15 years and above continued to rise, standing at 52.5 per cent led by rise in the female workforce in rural areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated India’s Asian Archery Championships 2025 medal winners on Monday for delivering the country’s best-ever result at the tournament, finishing with a total of 10 medals.

India clinched six gold medals, including a historic gold in the men’s individual recurve — the first for the country in 18 years.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to our Archery team on their best ever performance at the Asian Archery Championships 2025. They have brought home 10 medals, including 6 Golds. Notable among these was the historic Recurve Men’s Gold after 18 years. At the same time, there were strong showings in individual events and successful Compound title defenses too. This is indeed a very special feat, which will motivate many upcoming athletes.”

The final instalment of the “Sincaraz” rivalry for 2025 went to Jannik Sinner.

The second-ranked Sinner beat top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 for the ATP Finals trophy on Sunday in the sixth meeting this year between the two players who are dominating men’s tennis.

Sinner defended the title before his home Italian fans for only his second victory over Alcaraz this year after also beating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.

“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “To finish it this way, before my Italian fans, is very special for me.”

Alcaraz had already secured the year-ending No. 1 ranking and was contesting his first final at the event for the year’s top eight players.