Morning Brief: Zelensky Pitches India As Peace Summit Venue, Rural Two-Wheeler Sales Outpace Urban For First Time Post-Covid, IMD Warns Of Heavy Rains In North India

Happy Janmashtami, dear readers!

Here’s your morning brief packed with the latest insights.

Zelensky Pitches India As Peace Summit Venue

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed India as a potential venue for a future peace summit aimed at resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. During a media briefing in Kyiv, Zelenskyy mentioned that he had discussed this possibility with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is currently evaluating the offer to host such a summit, which could take place either as the next event or at a later date. The first peace summit was held in June this year at a resort near Lucerne, Switzerland. Modi, who visited Ukraine last week, expressed India's willingness to play an "active role" in bringing both sides to the negotiating table and ending the ongoing war.

Rural Two-Wheeler Sales Outpace Urban For First Time Post-Covid

For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, rural two-wheeler sales in India have outpaced urban sales from April to July, according to the Business Standard. The two-wheeler industry grew by 13.5 per cent during this period, with rural sales increasing by 14.5 per cent compared to 12 per cent growth in urban areas. This shift signals an improvement in the rural economy, bolstered by recent investments made by the government on infrastructure creation, and suggests the two-wheeler market could experience double-digit growth in the current financial year.

IMD Warns Of Intense Rains

The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, and Maharashtra over the next few days. As of August 25, a deep depression near Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, is expected to move west-southwest, impacting South Rajasthan, Gujarat, and reaching Saurashtra, Kutch, and parts of Pakistan by August 29. Additionally, a low-pressure area over Bangladesh and Gangetic West Bengal is forecasted to intensify and move towards West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand in the coming days.

Tata Sons Repays Rs 20,000 Crore Debt To Stay Private

Tata Sons, the holding company of the $410-billion Tata Group, has requested to voluntarily surrender its registration certificate to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after repaying over Rs 20,000 crore in debt. This strategic move allows Tata Sons to remain an unlisted, closely held entity. Under RBI regulations, continuing these loans would have required listing its shares, but Tata Sons has settled nearly all of its borrowings exceeding Rs 20,300 crore to avoid this outcome.

Other Developments

Kolkata Rape Accused Alleges He Found Victim Dead

Sanjay Roy, arrested in the Kolkata doctor rape and murder case, claimed during a lie-detection test that the victim was already dead when he saw her and that he fled in fear. The test, conducted at Presidency Jail, revealed several "false and unconvincing answers." Roy appeared "unnerved and anxious" during questioning. Sanjay Roy (33), a Kolkata Police civic volunteer, was arrested on August 10 after a Bluetooth device and CCTV footage linked him to the 31-year-old doctor’s body found in the seminar hall.

Samajwadi Party Brazens It Out In Ayodhya

Son of SP's controversial Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad is expected to be the Samajwadi Party’s candidate for the Milkipur assembly bypolls. Prasad resigned from the Milkipur seat following his election to the Lok Sabha. He was recently in the news for alleged connections with the SP leader accused in the Ayodhya rape case. Following the demolition of the accused's bakery, Prasad also accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of harbouring "enmity" against the Yadav and Muslim communities.

BRO Questions EIA Necessity For Chardham Road Project

The Border Roads Organisation claims the Chardham road project on the Gangotri-Dharasu route doesn’t need environmental clearance, contradicting a Supreme Court committee’s recommendations. It is also seeking clearance for 17.5 hectares of forest land for the Netala bypass, which was previously rejected by the committee. This comes amid ongoing concerns about environmental impacts in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.

Astronaut's Stunning Moonset Photo from ISS Goes Viral

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick's photo of the moon setting over the Pacific is breaking the internet. Captured from the International Space Station, the image shows the moon against blue hues from Earth's atmosphere. Dominick shared that he initially went to photograph Tropical Storm Hone near Hawaii but ended up capturing the moon instead. The breathtaking photo, taken with a 400mm lens, has since gone viral.

From The States

Maharashtra Becomes First State To Offer UPS

Maharashtra has become the first state in the country to offer the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) to its employees, just hours after central government employees’ organisations urged other states to adopt it. This move follows the Union Cabinet’s approval of UPS, which provides 50% of an employee’s average salary as pension, with adjustments for inflation. While 23 lakh central government employees will benefit from the UPS, the number could reach 90 lakh if adopted by all states. 

Kerala Forms SIT To Probe Abuse In Film Industry

The Kerala government has formed a special seven-member team to investigate atrocities against women in the movie industry, led by IG Sparjan Kumar and including four senior women IPS officers. This move follows recent allegations of harassment and abuse in the Malayalam film industry, highlighted by the Hema Committee's 290-page report exposing systemic issues and a "criminal nexus." 

Janmashtami Reads

As we celebrate Janmashtami today, check out these great reads by Swarajya's Aravindan Neelakandan. One article takes you down memory lane, reminiscing about the divine and joyful times with Lord Krishna from our childhood. The other one gives a fascinating look at how Krishna’s stories are carved into the walls of the Chennakesava Temple in Karnataka. And don’t miss out on adding some classic Pt Jasraj tracks to your Janmashtami celebrations.

Keep an eye out—we’ve got plenty more coming your way throughout the day!