- 7 weeks ago
The programme also looks at India's economic growth, with Prime Minister Modi highlighting the country's 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter, driven by domestic consumption and government capital expenditure.
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NewsTranscript
00:08Hello and welcome. Good evening. You're watching 5 Live here on India Today.
00:12I'm Akshita Nandagopal. Over the next one hour, lots lined up for you.
00:15We're keeping the focus on what's happening in Nepal.
00:18One of the worst tragedies the world has witnessed.
00:22We'll get to the latest on the updates and on the Indians who remain missing.
00:26Let's begin with the headlines.
00:30Prime Minister Modi holds bilateral talks with Iranian President Pazeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO summit.
00:35Both reviewed recent developments in West Asia.
00:37Prime Minister once again bats for dialogue, peace and stability in the region.
00:47All eyes on key Modi-Putin bilateral today in Bishkek.
00:52Prime Minister Modi to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on sidelines of SCO summit at 6 p.m.
00:58No formal bilateral with Xi Jinping.
01:0717-year-old Class 11 student gang-raped inside a sleeper bus in Delhi's Kashmiri Gate area.
01:14Cops arrest 29-year-old driver Sandeep and conductor of the bus.
01:18Horrifying rerun of the Nirbhaya case in Delhi.
01:24Nepal flood debtor crosses the 900 mark.
01:28Over 4,000 people still missing.
01:31180 Indians rescued so far.
01:34Sadhguru turns emotional at a solidarity event.
01:37Ian Kathmandu calls for global support.
01:43Chorus grows for TVK Chief Vijay as Prime Minister candidate.
01:48But ally Congress makes it clear they want Rahul Gandhi to lead PM race.
01:52Tamil Nadu Congress Minister warns both Congress ministers will resign if TVK refuses to publicly back Rahul.
02:04Political row over Shuddhi Karan ritually in Uttarakhand's Haldwani.
02:08F.I.R. registered against Rahul Gandhi.
02:10Rahul accused of hurting sentiments.
02:12Multiple complaints now filed.
02:14Congress claims BJP is trying to silence Rahul's voice.
02:30Prime Minister Modi has hailed India's growth story with the GDP figures at 7.8% during quarter one of
02:38the financial year 2026-27.
02:40Prime Minister Modi has said that this is a Herculean feat.
02:45He says, and I quote, the collective strength of our people ensured India delivered such growth despite oil price shocks
02:51and supply chain issues in the midst of global uncertainties.
02:55He's also said that doomsayers were doomed and India bloomed yet again.
03:04So that's the Prime Minister hailing the fact that GDP in the country has grown 7.8% in the
03:10June quarter
03:11and therefore has beaten estimates despite global headwinds, despite the challenges that every country, not just India, that every country
03:19has been facing.
03:21Siddharth Zarabi is joining us on this broadcast with more on this.
03:24Siddharth, good evening.
03:26You know, our GDP numbers beating estimates despite all of the challenges that India and every country has been facing.
03:31Very clearly this shows that the Indian economy has done remarkably well and what are the reasons for that performance?
03:40Primarily on account of the huge domestic engine that India's economy is, which is domestic consumption.
03:47Exports have continued to hold up despite all that we are seeing in the global trade order,
03:53including tariff challenges, which have in fact been going on for quite some time, as we all know.
03:58More importantly, what does this also say about the Indian economy?
04:02The entire West Asia crisis, the fuel issue, the lack of gas supplies and how we mitigated that is the
04:10reason perhaps why Prime Minister Modi made the remarks that he has.
04:16What is the underlying takeaway? Government capital expenditure is what continues to drive the economy in very simple terms.
04:26It is the government of India using taxpayer revenues that are being pumped into the build out of infrastructure all
04:32across the country,
04:33the expansion in the railways network, just as an example.
04:37And also remember that while sometimes questions are asked about the long-term feasibility of the welfare state that has
04:45increased over the past several years,
04:48I think the quarter under review is also a clear indication that when you put money in the hands of
04:53people through various schemes
04:55and state budgets are also doing that separately, it's all adding to the domestic consumption economy.
05:02So all in all, really, a very good set of numbers, numbers that were not expected.
05:08In fact, many of the economists that even business today had polled to see what is their expectation of the
05:14numbers,
05:15this 7.8% reading coming well above most expectations.
05:20Okay, Siddharth, you know, this is a stronger than expected quarterly number, very, very clearly.
05:27Expectations did point to some moderation in growth, as you've highlighted as well.
05:30You know, I recall seeing so many of these international economists speaking about moderation in India's expected growth figures.
05:38And this is really hitting it out of the park.
05:41And you're right in highlighting that there are a number of factors that have contributed to it,
05:44despite the fact that we've faced a number of global challenges.
05:47And the biggest headline, Siddharth, is going to be, you know, the fact that domestically we've been strong enough to
05:53handle that jolt.
05:55Absolutely. And, you know, look at it in another set of data.
05:59Let's look at the industry performance.
06:01Manufacturing as a sector, while on the overall questions are always asked about manufacturing
06:07and its relative importance and contribution to the Indian economy over the past couple of decades.
06:13In the quarter under review, manufacturing also doing very good.
06:17In fact, a solid run growing at 9.2% versus 8.3% in the same period a year
06:24ago.
06:24So, electricity seeing a dramatic turnaround.
06:28That means electricity means people are consuming.
06:30It's being used 8.9% growth versus negative 1.8% earlier on in the same period under review.
06:39What does all of this tell us?
06:40And we can, you know, keep on discussing numbers.
06:42It just underlines the fact that the massive size of India's consumption economy at all levels,
06:49from the biggest of malls to the deepest rural hinterland all across India, people are consuming.
06:58And despite certain indications of inflation pickup, and that has our monetary policy makers a little worried in the recent
07:07past,
07:08I think the consumption economy is what is really the big story at this moment.
07:12And I want to underline once again, if you looked at the impact on other economies on account of the
07:18West Asia conflict,
07:19it just underlines the fact that if we get our things right, if our domestic policy architecture remains aligned,
07:25and there is an expectation that we should double down on reforms and not let these numbers make us complacent,
07:32I think in the quarters ahead, we will see even better economic performance.
07:37Siddharth, you know, I'd love to discuss that in greater detail.
07:40If you could just stay with me, I just want to quickly get a sense of how the government has
07:43put out these numbers.
07:44Very interesting comment, and Aishwarya Paliwal is joining us on this.
07:47Aishwarya, the Prime Minister said doom sales were doomed, and India bloomed yet again.
07:53So clearly the government is celebrating these numbers.
07:56You know, they've had to fight a whole lot of criticism on their handling of the economy in the last
08:00few months,
08:01but at least going by the first quarter's strong start.
08:05Well, definitely, Rokshita.
08:06And let me tell you, most of the opposition parties, particularly the Congress party,
08:10often spoke about the fact that these are the numbers on the back of which they used to point fingers
08:15and say that Indian economy is not doing well.
08:18Unemployment, that is something that we have seen across the board,
08:21all the opposition parties pointing fingers at the government and talking about unemployment.
08:25But this is data, data which does not lie, and data which actually tells you that despite everything that we
08:30are seeing
08:31when we speak about the global economy, this is India, and India has been doing well.
08:35Yes, you know, let's be honest about it.
08:38If we look at the numbers from last year, yes, last year we did see a little bit of a
08:41bump,
08:42a little bit of a slowdown of sorts.
08:43That did happen because last year, the same quarter, the GDP number stood at 6.8%,
08:49but this time there is a huge jump at 7.8%.
08:52So this is what we are seeing, Akshita, at the moment.
08:55The government believes that the policies, in fact, have worked in favor of our country,
08:58and this, in fact, will also give a big boost and an impetus to the government
09:02to make sure that they come up with more such policies,
09:05more schemes that, in fact, will help the Indian economy.
09:09Akshita.
09:10One final question, Siddharth, to you, on the point you made earlier
09:14about, you know, how we must highlight the fact that India has performed in this manner,
09:19the fact that our economy in the first quarter has done so well
09:22despite all of the global challenges.
09:23I'd love to know how other countries have fared in their first quarter.
09:26Well, you know, that data we will see coming out with a different lag
09:30because we follow April to March financial year, others are more calendar year linked.
09:36But I just want to underline one more point about the continuing impact.
09:39Remember those massive GST cuts last year?
09:43Benefits of policy measures take many months, several quarters to trickle down.
09:48I just want to add one element here.
09:50If this is the number that we are now discussing for the quarter under review,
09:54what will happen to the full year?
09:57I'm already picking up a commentary from various economists who are saying
10:01that the full year GDP number for the current financial year ending 31st March 2027
10:07is now more likely to be 7% versus earlier 6.7 or 6.8%.
10:14The downside to this, some of the cost pressures that we saw develop on account of the Iran-US conflict,
10:23a bit of the overall developments as far as rainfall, monsoon, railfall is concerned.
10:30There could be a slight hiccup here or there.
10:32But clearly, India is headed towards a better economic performance for the current financial year
10:39against what was earlier projected in April-May this year.
10:43You know, that's very reassuring, very promising, the fact that we could be seeing this continue.
10:48Because, you know, that will be the question, Aishwarya,
10:51on whether the government will be able to keep up the momentum,
10:53whether the next quarters also will be able to reflect these kind of numbers.
10:58Well, that is what the government, Akshita, from what I understand, will be working doubly hard at.
11:03Because once you have achieved this number, there is no way that you can slide back.
11:07That's the reason why we will see the finance ministry, the commerce ministry,
11:10all of them making sure, including the RBI, that you keep the momentum up.
11:14You know, just a couple of months back, Akshita, we did see how what was happening on the global level.
11:19So the government had to do two things.
11:21And they had to do these things simultaneously.
11:23First and foremost, what they had to do is to make sure that they shield the Indian economy,
11:27from the impact of what was happening globally.
11:30And second, they had to make sure that the policies kept the momentum going within our country.
11:35So that is something that the government has been focusing on.
11:38And from what I understand from the BJP, from my sources within the BJP,
11:42that is exactly what the government will continue to do.
11:44So because 7.8, that has now become the benchmark for the BJP.
11:50And this is what they will be focusing on the next quarter.
11:53That's what the government hopes for will be better than this one.
11:56And they will be able to tell the world that, yes, India is the place where you need to invest.
12:00And that is what the Prime Minister also does whenever he goes abroad.
12:03The one thing that he speaks about, and he surely does that,
12:07is to make sure that he tells everyone that right now is the time when you need to invest in
12:11India.
12:11All right, Aishwarya Siddharth, thanks very much for joining us with all of those details.
12:16External pressures not weighing down heavily on growth at all,
12:20at least going by the first quarter.
12:22None of it actually halting India's growth story.
12:25And that's why the Prime Minister not just calls it a Herculean feat.
12:29I'll repeat again, he says,
12:30As doomsayers were doomed, India bloomed yet again.
12:54Let's get you the latest updates coming in from Nepal.
12:57Devastating flash floods have taken an even more alarming turn.
13:01We'll never really understand the full scale of the tragedy.
13:04But with every passing day, the numbers continuing to go up.
13:11The debt toll crossing 900, number of missing, is surged to 4,247.
13:17That's a sharp rise from the 2,502 who were reported missing just two days ago.
13:23Among those unaccounted for are 3,655 Nepali citizens and 592 foreigners.
13:29Rescue teams continue to search through the fraud-ravaged areas as the scale of this disaster becomes clearer.
13:39What's the latest on the Indian nationals who are missing?
13:42Well, there are many, in fact, workers from Uttar Pradesh's Hardhoy,
13:46a family from Bihar's Raksol, from Punjab, from Tamil Nadu, from Andhra Pradesh, from Karnataka, from Telangana.
13:53There are many missing.
13:54Contact has been established with 50 stranded Indians.
13:57More than 105 have been rescued.
14:03There's now a fresh warning from the flood-hit Himalayan region.
14:07Chinese media reports that glaciers around the impact crater in Nepal face a risk of further collapse,
14:13raising fears of another major disaster.
14:15Authorities now face the risk of fresh flooding if unstable glacial formations give way.
14:23Nepal Prime Minister Balin Shah stepping up the response to the flood crisis,
14:28holding high-level meetings with the country's security chiefs.
14:31Shah has been briefed on the ongoing search, rescue and relief operations,
14:34and has directed authorities to give top priority to those still awaiting rescue.
14:38He's also ordered free treatment for the injured.
14:45Unfortunately, a Nepal army-led rescue team has found no survivors or bodies, for that matter,
14:51inside the Rasuva Gadi hydropower tunnel.
14:54Despite an extensive search with engineers and drones,
14:56the team reached the deepest accessible point of the tunnel,
14:59but found no signs of anyone trapped inside.
15:02The search has been called off now.
15:04Remember that the hydropower company had actually reported 93 people missing from the project,
15:09but that tunnel, fully blocked, there's no way to get inside.
15:16The rescue operation at Nepal's Trushuli 3A hydropower tunnel is proving to be increasingly difficult.
15:22A blast was carried out at 3 a.m.
15:25Rescuers are yet to create a clear passage, however, into the tunnel.
15:28Teams are cutting through layers of metal ribs and reinforcement bars,
15:31while water continues to seep in.
15:33Pumps and generators are being arranged to drain the tunnel,
15:36but rescuers say progress remains slow,
15:38and as is always the case in these kind of operations, time is of the essence.
15:45In Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Nepal embassy
15:48and signed the condolence book offering India's deepest sympathies
15:51over the devastating flash floods and the casualty count.
15:55Rajnath Singh said India stands shoulder to shoulder with Nepal in this difficult hour
15:59and reaffirmed India's commitment to support search, rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
16:03He also expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones
16:06and wished he injured a speedy recovery.
16:12America has issued a Level 4 do-not-travel advisory
16:16to flood-hit areas of Nepal,
16:18including the Rasuwa-Gadi-Temure-Sya-Brubesi region
16:23and areas near the China border.
16:25The warning sites disrupted roads and communications,
16:28ongoing rescue operations and the risk of further floods and landslides.
16:40But let's quickly hand this across to Ashutosh Mishra for the latest updates.
16:45He continues to bravely report for us
16:47from some of the worst-hit areas in Nepal.
16:50Ashutosh, good evening.
16:52We had a chance to go through your ground reports from earlier today
16:55where you've also focused on the rescue and relief efforts.
16:58I'm afraid, Ashutosh, that so many days on,
17:01there's no way to get a sense really of how massive this tragedy is in terms of numbers
17:07because with every passing hour, I'm sure you're getting these updates,
17:11with every passing hour, those numbers of casualties, of injured, of even missing,
17:16keeps going up.
17:21The death toll has already amounted to more than 900
17:24and now we see the number of missing personnel is more than 4,200.
17:27Now, 4,200 people missing has been six days.
17:30So far, the people, those from the upstream, are being evacuated.
17:33You hear the hovering of the choppers all around me
17:35because there have been traces, there have been calls,
17:38there have been distress signal.
17:39And on those areas, you know, the team, army, police were moved and mobilized.
17:43So eventually, they got them to safely to the helipads and their evacuation begins.
17:47Even today, the advisory has been issued by the government
17:50that only it is emergency and necessary than the area of evacuation
17:54since they are also now focusing on the reopening of those stretches which have been blocked.
17:58So reopening of these roads also now the primary target of these government agencies.
18:03Now, looking at the number of missing, which is rising, you rightly said, at every hour.
18:07I've just been to Devika, to those areas.
18:09And the entire market, one of the most buzzing, crowded population of up to 5,000 to 6,000
18:14is now totally under the debris.
18:16And we see the kind of devastation.
18:18Now, it has also started smelling.
18:20The authorities now sanitation process will take a long.
18:23We see the army people were literally digging door to door.
18:26The local civic agencies going door to door to see possibility of,
18:29there is hardly possibility.
18:30You know, the 36 hours is the maximum window that you have during these calamities.
18:35And now, the hole, there is only flood and debris to all these areas.
18:39Very likely that you would find any survivor.
18:41But in that case, there are people missing.
18:43And the flow and magnitude of the devastation,
18:45these rivers dried behind me, Bhat Koshi, was so huge
18:48that bodies were recovered up to 100 kilometers to Nawal Parasi.
18:52In fact, in Nawal Kota area, where I am, mostly people,
18:54the number of maximum people missing is from this pocket only.
18:58So, all those missing bodies probably would be buried under those debris.
19:02And now, that cannot be priority to dig out or, you know, to excavate all this area.
19:07During the road clearing process, some excavation is being done.
19:11Those essential, those people who have survived,
19:13now going back home to collect leftover or the belongings,
19:16certain excavation also being done.
19:18And even during that process, the bodies are being recovered.
19:21At least, that is giving some to where the missing persons were.
19:24But number, looking at the, this explains the number of death toll
19:28is going to rise for the incoming days.
19:30Ashutosh, you know, as someone who has been reporting there for the last one week,
19:33and you have reported on many such tragedies,
19:36perhaps not to this scale, because this is something
19:38that, you know, we have never seen before, the likes of.
19:40But since you have reported on many tragedies,
19:43I would like to know from you,
19:44you have seen what has happened up front in Nepal.
19:47What to you is the biggest challenge
19:49that officials, that rescue workers are facing right now?
20:03I don't think Ashutosh is able to hear me.
20:06Apologies.
20:07I think I lost audio.
20:07One of the biggest issues is communication.
20:10One of the biggest issues is being able to establish
20:13any communication with those in the badly hit areas.
20:17And Ashutosh has been traversing through the entire course of the river
20:21to give you a sense of what's left, if anything at all, of these villages.
20:27But let me now, with the help of AI, give you a sense of how much
20:32of devastation destruction actually took place in Nepal.
20:35We'll start from the very beginning of what triggered the devastating floods,
20:39because it's now coming into sharper focus,
20:41more details coming in from scientists.
20:43And they say that the disaster was not caused by a glacial lake outburst flood.
20:47Instead, it was a massive ice and rock avalanche
20:51that broke away high in the Himalayas came tumbling down around 5,200 meters
20:57in a region called the Langtang-Lirung Legion.
21:00It's where tons of ice, rock, and debris came crashing down into the Lehendi River.
21:05That powerful surge, and just imagine the magnitude of what we're talking about
21:09when we see an ice and rock avalanche.
21:11It was so massive that just that crashing into the river led to a surge,
21:16which entered the Bhutekoshi River system and then raced downstream at staggering speed.
21:22It covered 22 kilometers in just seven minutes.
21:2722 kilometers in seven minutes.
21:29And the debris-filled torrent swept through settlements.
21:32All of the homes, all of the villages built around that river completely destroyed,
21:36and bridges torn apart.
21:38Scientists have said that this is an avalanche.
21:41Yes, and that there was ice, rock, mud, and sediment,
21:44all of which gathered together and surged into the river.
21:47And that's what led to it.
21:49You know, devastating key infrastructure that roads, bridges, none of it stood a chance.
21:54It was just ripped apart in a matter of seconds,
21:57and villages buried under tons of debris.
22:00Some of the hydropower projects that were being constructed,
22:03you see there with the help of AI, how we've recreated what those look like as well.
22:10We've shown you the entire course of the tragedy,
22:15from where it began, where it ended.
22:17But to really understand the scale of devastation,
22:20six days after the floods, even now,
22:23you get a sense of how bad the situation was
22:26from these ground reports by Ashutosh Mishra.
22:28We have a sense of how bad the situation was.
23:11the death toll in Nepal calamity has more than 900 where we see more than 4,000 still missing.
23:19The number of missing persons and the death toll is gradually rising on the 6th day as we see many
23:25of the bodies which have swept away along with the flow of the Adkoche river have gone to
23:31certain areas where they are stuck and after 6 days it is now decomposing as we really see
23:35bad smell in Devgharti in this area where they search, evac, rescue, operation, restoration
23:41operation begins but at the same time every effort is being done to find out possibility
23:46of survivor and at the same time the missing person, Nepal army is carrying out an operation
23:51as they were informed about bad smell probably dead bodies that is decomposing in this area.
23:57Now no identity has been made whether it was the owner of this house or if the body has been
24:02swept away
24:02from all upstream to downstream these areas so that makes absolutely challenging while already
24:08they are first facing a mountain task in the difficult terrain at the same time the decomposing
24:13of these dead bodies in the different pockets will eventually lead to a pandemic situation so
24:18there is now another preparation that the authorities are struggling with it with the kind of situation
24:23that we see unfolding upstream here in Nepal.
24:28Now what we've seen is of course so much of devastation destruction and families separated forever so
24:35many families completely wiped out but I meant that we also want to give you a sense of hope extraordinary
24:42stories of survival that we'll get you in our next report for example the one you see on your screen
24:48I'm sure you've seen this on social media one house that stood right through the tragedy the family was in
24:56the house
24:57when their balcony they were watching all of this doom all around them but their house stood through it through
25:03the course of the tragedy they survived the disaster that hit their region they saw all of the homes near
25:08them
25:08their entire village being wiped out from their balcony though they remained safe the family survived the floods and today
25:15what you see also on the right of your screens that's the remnant of that building almost every building there
25:21destroyed
25:22this one home stands tall stories of survival stories of hope are emerging from this disaster let's take a look
25:31at some of them
25:37this is the devastation left behind by the deadly floods in Nepal homes buried under mud vehicles trapped in
25:46debris and roads transformed into rivers of sludge but amid the devastation come stories of survival that seem nothing short
25:58of
26:01miraculous in rasuva six-year-old manisha maghar had been buried under debris for three days then rescuers heard it
26:11the faint sound of her child crying they immediately began digging
26:19and found manisha alive she was pulled from the rubble and later airlifted to katmandu for treatment
26:29eight-year-old zoel ghale was at school when the flood struck rasuba as the water surged he fled into
26:37forest and climbed trees to survive his mother feared the worst for days she searched desperately for her son
26:45until she learned he was alive zoel was airlifted to katmandu with a broken leg and cuts on his face
26:52and
26:53finally mother and son were reunited i had completely lost hope that i no longer have my children i was
27:01going through a period of grief and i could not even control myself and thought that there was no point
27:07in staying alive and in novakot another remarkable recovery a branch office of the agriculture development
27:16bank had been submerged by the bhotekoshi floods but rescuers spent nearly eight hours searching through
27:23the branch building they recovered gold worth approximately 50 crore nepalese rupees along with
27:30around 1.5 crore rupees in cash silver precious items and important documents
27:37the destruction is immense but amid the rubble and heartbreak hope endures
27:43a child pulled alive from beneath the debris a boy who climbed trees to escape the floods and gold recovered
27:51from a bank swallowed by flood waters nepal is still counting its losses but there are stories that remind us
27:58even in the darkest moments hope survives bureau report india today
28:07and remember that of those who lost their lives there was also about 80 people
28:12from sadguru from isha foundation's uh camp as well and so in katmandu sadguru held an in solidarity
28:20with nepal event he was joined by actor manisha korala and they spoke of the himalayan disaster
28:26the need to stand with nepal sadguru is now called for a multi-nation himalayan board to be set up
28:33to
28:33address the natural crisis and the disasters that are hitting the himalayan region
29:02the himalayan nation is grieving
29:05and that's what i'm talking about
29:07battered by floods nepal is searching for its people mourning those it has lost
29:20death toll has crossed 750 more than 2500 people are still missing
29:27and for thousands of families the wait continues for a loved one a phone call a sign of life
29:38over 180 indians have been rescued so far as massive search and rescue operations continue
29:44across the flood hit region amid nepal's darkest hour a message of solidarity from katmandu
29:55spiritual leader sadguru jaggi vasudev turned emotional at an event describing the scale of
30:01the calamity as incomprehensible and calling for global support he also called for a five-nation himalayan
30:09board to work together to tackle disasters threatening the region
30:14it's important that relief yes must happen immediately
30:21and it's important that a calamity of this nature and volume should not be left just to the nepali
30:29government it's important the world bodies participate in this because it's beyond any single government to
30:36handle this kind of situations sadguru said the himalayan nations must stop looking at the mountains as
30:43borders and instead see the himalayas as one shared ecological system one that needs to be protected together
30:52it's very important nepalish show it's a good place to go to
30:58going to kailash is not a death wish it's important it continues it's been on for over 12 000 years
31:05and we must continue that it's important for our culture it's important for our civilization
31:11and it's very important for nepal's economy also
31:15actor manisha kodala was also present at the isha foundations in solidarity with nepal event
31:21she extended her support and stood with the people of nepal in their hour of grief
31:27i hope and pray
31:30it's important for our country without making sense of this disastrous moment
31:38that we become better people
31:41behind every death is a family shattered behind every missing person is a family holding on to hope
31:51and as rescue teams continue the desperate search thousands are still waiting
31:59waiting for a loved one to return bureau report india today
32:09now i know there's been a whole lot being said on social media all kinds of claims all kinds of
32:14photos
32:15and videos and here on india today we're trying to bust some of the fake news during the rounds on
32:20social media on nepal like this one this false claim links this giant shaligram sculpture to the
32:27nepal flash floods it's being shared as a 17 crore year old shaligram stone supposedly discovered near
32:35muktinath not true this is false we can confirm for you that the footage actually shows a 22 foot
32:42shaligram shaped sculpture carved from a large rock on the banks of the gandaki river it was created
32:49by sculptors from the nepal academy of fine arts during a workshop and this happened in april may
32:55well before the floods and it's man-made this viral video is real the claim attached to it 100
33:03false the timeline is wrong the circumstances are wrong don't believe everything you see on social
33:09media and you can count on us here on india today to keep separating the fact from the fiction we'll
33:15continue getting you all the latest on the relief and rescue operations that are underway in nepal
33:21this is pollution car solution india today group's campaign to find india's answer to vehicular
33:27pollution and you've responded we're thrilled to report that we've received over 1 000 ideas from
33:33across the country our expert jury is now going through every single one of them looking for
33:38solutions that could make a real difference if you've got a solution for pollution india today
33:44is looking for you scan the qr code on your screens or log on to india today dot in slash
33:52pollution car solution and send us your idea that qr's code is up on your screens on pollution car
33:59solution today we bring you one such innovation a delhi-based innovator has developed a device called
34:05poll red which he describes as a complete solution to vehicular pollution he claims that when mounted
34:10on dtc buses in delhi this device can actually reduce particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions
34:17he's also claimed that this device can capture non-exhaust vehicle pollution including particles
34:23generated when tires rub against the road so can this device really help tackle one of delhi's biggest
34:29pollution challenges here's a glimpsed polluted polluted polluted polluted challenges here's a glimpse
34:38i'm an innovator i'm an innovator i'm a 16-16 dimension
34:41i'm an innovator i'm an innovator i'm a 16-16 dimension
34:44and this is why i'm about 14-15 years ago i'm going to research the air pollution
35:02reduction reduction and heat reducer device
35:06technology we have made a lot of pollution reduction
35:12and we have developed a lot of pollution reduction
35:13devices in the world that's called a multi-purpose air pollution and heat reducer device
35:20what is the particulate matter of the matter of any kind of
35:24There is mud, there is soil, there is rock, there is a cigarette box, we have put metal particles on
35:33our vehicles.
35:39We don't need to do this. This is a rub and then it will make the particles of water.
35:48and unfortunately our buses are on the road.
35:50and unfortunately there is no way to go.
35:55All of these particles have been broken.
35:59The device will run automatically and have a safe system.
36:03When our buses are on, then the tires are on the road.
36:08You will be aware of that the road-tires are on the road.
36:131,000,000 kg.
36:16After this research, we developed a filter from this device.
36:21The particles of the device have been arrested.
36:25I have seen and studied the devices in my knowledge.
36:31If the filter is choked, you can throw it out.
36:35Or we can use it.
36:37We can keep it in mind.
36:38Whatever the particle has been captured from the environment,
36:42it will never go back to the environment.
36:45Not even gases.
36:53So here, the pipe in the blower.
36:57If you can see it from the camera,
36:59you can see it from the camera.
37:02There will be water from here.
37:04There will be water from here.
37:04So that the particles are broken from here,
37:07all the particles are broken from here.
37:08This is what you are looking at.
37:11These particles are broken.
37:13Dhuul, batti, rock.
37:16Jhoutes of people.
37:18The tires are broken.
37:20The brakes are broken.
37:22They are broken.
37:24You can see the water coming.
37:25This is what you are looking at.
37:26It's instantly we are giving our passengers a cleaner.
37:30I think I have a nice breathing.
37:32I think it's good at all.
37:33This is the water coming out.
37:35This is water coming out.
37:36This is the water coming out.
37:37This is the particles you have in the skin.
37:39It is the particles you have seen.
37:41These particles are all the particles.
37:43These are all the particles.
37:44These are polymer particles.
37:46This is the 10 to 12 litres of water.
37:49This is a hole in the middle.
37:56There are several layers of filters from each other.
37:59There are seven layers of filters here.
38:02There is another filter.
38:03These particles are under the hole in the water.
38:06After that, if there is a hole in the hole,
38:09if there is a hole in the hole,
38:11if there is a hole in the hole,
38:13we don't have to open the device.
38:14There is a hole in the hole in the hole.
38:16There is a hole in the hole in the hole.
38:20You can see the filter in the hole.
38:23Now, this is the 2nd of June.
38:25It is 27 August.
38:27So, this is the 3rd of June, July, August.
38:28This is the 3rd of the filter.
38:31There will be more dust particles.
38:33You can see it.
38:33I will see it.
38:34You will not see it.
38:35This is just a little dark.
38:38Now, if we have to do it in 2 months,
38:41or 3 months,
38:42or monthly,
38:43then we will just change the filter.
38:45It is also the filter inside.
38:47These are the body assets.
38:52Now, we apply passengers to approximately 3,000 to 4,000,
38:563,000 to 4,000 liters per minute clean air.
39:00If we just have 12 minutes,
39:03it is just more than 2 million liters air.
39:06It is also the public.
39:09There will be particles and devices to be used.
39:11So, if we have 10,000, 12,000 or 8,000,
39:14so if we have 10,000 or 10,000 to 3 million liters,
39:19if we just clean the air just the air,
39:22then you will just clean the air.
39:39We're counting down to the big bilateral meet that's expected to take place in Bishkek
39:44in just under 30 minutes from now.
39:47I'm talking about the Modi-Putin bilateral.
39:49These talks will be taking place in the sidelines of the SCO Summit.
39:54I can confirm for you that the Russian President Vladimir Putin has just touched down in Bishkek.
39:59Why is this bilateral important?
40:01Of course, we've been seeing both India and Russia investing greatly in this relationship.
40:06And in this bilateral, there's going to be a keen eye on what are the takeaways
40:12as far as defence, trade and energy is concerned.
40:15Remember that among the many bilaterals that have happened already,
40:19the biggest headline one has been Prime Minister Modi's meeting with the Iranian President Pezheshkian.
40:25Let me bring in Gaurab Savant for more on this.
40:29But before that, we'll break down for you exactly why this bilateral matters.
40:35The high-stakes conversation coming at a crucial moment for India's strategic partnership with Moscow.
40:41And this meeting comes also, mind you, amid mounting U.S. pressure over India's continued Russian oil imports,
40:47putting energy ties firmly in focus.
40:50For India, trade is a key priority.
40:53The widening trade imbalance with Russia remains a concern.
40:56New Delhi is pushing for greater access to Russian markets for Indian exports.
41:00Then there's defence.
41:02A decades-old pillar of India-Russia ties in an area where strategic and technology cooperation remains significant.
41:09But the conversation goes beyond just bilateral ties.
41:14China's growing influence, the war in Ukraine, the shifting geopolitical balance,
41:19all of that adds a layer of strategic weight to the Modi-Putin engagement.
41:24So the big questions are, will energy and trade dominate the conversation?
41:30What will we see as far as tangible takeaways on defence ties goes?
41:34How will India balance its partnership with Moscow amid growing pressure from Washington and a changing global order?
41:41We've done it for the last many months rather successfully.
41:46Now going forward, what happens?
41:50Our economic cooperation has grown very significantly.
41:55Prime Minister Modi looks forward to meeting you at the SCO Summit,
42:00then welcoming you in India for the BRICS Summit,
42:03and in due course, as per your mutual convenience, having the annual summit.
42:09So we have, Excellency, I think, a very strong picture of cooperation to present.
42:20Okay, let me bring in Gaurav Sawant as well as Pranay Upadhyay for more on this big ticket bilateral
42:26that will be kicking off in just about 20 minutes from now.
42:29Gaurav, to you, what's that big headline you'll be watching out for when the meeting takes place?
42:34Energy cooperation between India and Russia, this is a time-tested relationship
42:39that's withstood all, you know, the test of time,
42:43the pressures that may have come from various countries,
42:45but India-Russia relationship is a friend in need, a friend indeed.
42:50So energy cooperation, continued energy supplies,
42:53and equally important, if not more, the availability of fertilizers for Indian farmers.
42:59Now because of the Russia-Ukraine war,
43:01and of course this big, big tension in the Strait of Hormuz,
43:05the availability and supplies of fertilizers are severely impacted.
43:10And India played a very critical role in ensuring during the Russia-Ukraine crisis in the early days
43:15that fertilizer from Ukraine and from Russia is available not just for India,
43:21but also for the global south countries,
43:23helping negotiate the movement of fertilizers.
43:27That remains equally important, if not more, today.
43:30So fertilizer, energy, continued supply of Russian oil,
43:36because that helps steady the ship and also not just the Indian ship,
43:41the global ship, it helps keep prices on an even keel.
43:45So that would be significant.
43:47Defense cooperation, again, extremely significant.
43:50India is looking at five additional S-400 units.
43:54These surface-to-air missiles and air defense shield played a very critical role during Operation Sindur.
44:01So that's very, very important for India, Sudarsha and Chakra.
44:04So defense cooperation, energy cooperation, and of course people-to-people.
44:08These are huge, you know, takeaways from any India-Russia meeting.
44:14This meeting, of course, will also be then,
44:16there will be a meeting at the BRICS summit in India,
44:18and then the bilateral later this year.
44:20So this just goes on to show how extensively India and Russia remain engaged
44:25at the heads of state and government level.
44:26Very true.
44:27Pranay, you know, while everyone's going to be talking about this meeting,
44:31ICE will also be on Washington on how the White House views this particular bilateral,
44:36because Trump has strived to considerably pile pressure on India
44:40as far as the Moscow relationship is concerned.
44:43It's never actually worked, and now, of course, with this bilateral,
44:47once again the spotlight will be on the India-Russia friendship.
44:51Absolutely, Akshita.
44:52In fact, the India-Russia partnership has seen various seasons of President Donald Trump
44:57and his mood swings, if I may say so,
44:59because, you know, from the Russia war-induced tariffs or higher tariffs
45:04or penal tariffs on India to the recent Lindsay Graham Act in U.S. Capitol Hill,
45:10clearly, you know, targeting countries like India for doing business with Russia.
45:14But having said that, you know, the relationship has only grown stronger.
45:19But the larger issue here is about the bilateral ties as well,
45:22because the bilateral trade between India and Russia has gone up.
45:27It has reached a mark of over $100 billion, which is very significant.
45:31But India's concern is that the trade deficit has also grown up.
45:35We are selling, we are exporting, we are importing more from Russia,
45:39and we are exporting less from Russia, and Russia is an important market we want to explore.
45:43And recently, in his visit to Moscow, India's external affairs minister, Dr. Jayashkar,
45:48also mentioned this fact that, you know, this growing trade deficit between India and Russia
45:52is a matter of concern.
45:53And we need to find, we need to do some efforts and find opportunities,
45:57how we can bridge that trade deficit, which is over $50 billion now.
46:02So now that is a concern.
46:03And I think Prime Minister Nareen Modi and President Vladimir Putin are going to,
46:07you know, give some kind of a direction to this effort.
46:11But besides that, from the geopolitical point of view,
46:14every time when India and Russia come together,
46:16then obviously, you know, White House would be watching what exactly is decided in this meeting
46:22and how, in terms of the defence collaboration, in terms of economic partnership,
46:25in terms of the regional, you know, collaboration,
46:28and also the very idea of some kind of alternative world order,
46:32or the shaping of the global reforms, all these areas, you know,
46:36when India, China, Russia, they all come together,
46:38then obviously, it is of its own significance and it matters a lot.
46:43And we've seen the White House react rather harshly to the SEO summit previously.
46:47Gaurav, Pranay, thanks for the moment for joining me.
46:50I look forward to having both of you with me at 6 p.m.,
46:52which is when that bilateral is expected to take place
46:55between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin.
46:57Let me also round up for you all that's happened at the SEO summit,
47:01where Prime Minister Modi has also held bilateral talks
47:03with Iranian President Masoud Pazeshkian.
47:06The meeting comes at a particularly significant moment,
47:09West Asia continuing to face deep geopolitical tensions,
47:13and both India and Iran closely engaged in developments across the region.
47:17Now, while the two leaders reaffirmed the longstanding India-Iran friendship
47:21and discussed ways to take that forward,
47:23there was also a very important message from the Prime Minister on trade,
47:27where he stressed the need to expand and diversify the bilateral trade basket,
47:31signaling India's push to broaden economic engagement with Tehran.
47:35But also, as far as the conflict is concerned,
47:38India's made its stand clear support for efforts towards lasting peace in the region.
47:44India is looking to maintain its strategic engagement with Iran
47:47while navigating a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.
47:51It is a very delicate situation to be in,
47:54but one that India's handled very well so far.
47:57Now, remember, the Chinese President Xi Jinping is also at the SEO summit.
48:02So why isn't a bilateral taking place?
48:04Sources have told us that there is no bilateral meeting expected.
48:08Even without a Modi-Shei meeting,
48:10the China challenge remains central to India's approach of the SEO.
48:14India remains the only SEO member that's refused to endorse China's Belt and Road Initiative,
48:20citing concerns over sovereignty and territorial integrity.
48:23New Delhi has consistently opposed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,
48:27which passes through Pakistan-occupied territory claimed by India.
48:31India is also pushing strategic connectivity alternatives,
48:34such as the Chabahar port in Iran,
48:35offering a route that can bypass China-controlled corridors,
48:39expand India's access to Central Asia.
48:42For India, the larger objective is to ensure that the SEO remains a multipolar platform,
48:48rather than evolving into a China-led bloc.
48:50New Delhi has resisted attempts to give the SEO a more China-centric economic and strategic agenda,
48:56arguing for equal space and interests for all member states.
49:00India is also extremely wary of efforts to turn the SEO into any kind of anti-US or anti-Western
49:07grouping or bloc.
49:08So even without a Modi-Shei bilateral,
49:11the strategic contest with Beijing is playing out across the SEO,
49:16over connectivity, as I told you,
49:17over sovereignty, economics and the future direction of the bloc as well.
49:24Now, the SEO meet paves the way for the Big Bang Bricks meet,
49:29which is going to take place right here in India, in New Delhi,
49:32on September 12th and 13th.
49:34And Delhi's top luxury hotels are seeing a massive surge in demand.
49:38Several five-star properties are already fully booked.
49:40Others are charging significantly higher room rates for the summit dates.
49:45I'm talking about two lakhs and beyond for a single room.
49:49My colleague Anjali Pandey gets your more.
49:54Delhi is gearing up for the BRICS summit,
49:56set to be held on September 12th and 13th.
49:59And with the arrival of big dignitaries and global leaders,
50:03there's a catch.
50:04Five-star rooms in the national capital are becoming harder to find,
50:07where some rooms are not even available for booking on September 11th, 12th and 13th.
50:13And where the rooms are available, the prices are soaring.
50:16So we've got you covered at how much price and how much money
50:20you will have to shell out at some of Delhi's top luxury hotels.
50:25So if we talk about the Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road,
50:28and if we take a look at the calendar that's available,
50:31the calendar clearly shows that there are no bookings that are available for September 11th and 12th.
50:36So they're not even accepting any bookings for September 11th and 12th.
50:40But if we take a look at how do the prices look like on September 10th.
50:45So if we select September 10th as the check-in date and September 11th as the checkout date,
50:51the prices of the rooms start from 84,000.
50:55So the minimum cost of any room at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi,
50:59it begins at 84,000.
51:01And let's see what is the maximum price,
51:04what is the costliest room at the Taj Mahal Hotel for September 10th.
51:08So you will have to shell out somewhere around 20 lakh rupees for a single room,
51:14for a single night on September 10th at the Taj Mahal Hotel.
51:19Now if we talk about the Taj Palace Hotel,
51:22the calendar looks the same as Taj Mahal Hotel with no rooms available for September 11th and 12th.
51:27So you can't book any room at this hotel for September 11th and 12th.
51:32But if we take a look at the prices for September 10th here as well,
51:36the minimum cost of a room at Taj Palace is 27,000.
51:41So 27,000 is the minimum price that you will have to pay at Taj Palace on September 10th.
51:47And this goes up to the most costliest room at Taj Palace is at 2 lakh per night.
51:55Let's now talk about the Leela Palace Hotel located in Chanak Khyapuri.
51:59Now if you take a look at the calendar,
52:02it clearly shows that there are no bookings available for September 11th and September 12th.
52:07They are not accepting any bookings.
52:09But if we talk about September 10th, if we check in on September 10th,
52:13then how do the prices look like?
52:14Let's take a look.
52:15So the minimum that you will have to shell out at the Leela Palace is 94,500 on September 10th.
52:22And let's take a look at how does the costliest room rate look like?
52:27So the costliest room will cost you somewhere around 3 lakh 4,500 at the Leela Palace.
52:34Now let's talk about the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.
52:37Now if we take a look at the calendar, the calendar pretty much looks the same.
52:40There are no bookings available for September 11th and September 12th.
52:44It says sold out.
52:46But if we try to check in on September 10th,
52:49if we select September 10th as the date and check out on September 11th,
52:53there are only two options that are available at the Oberoi Hotel.
52:57And the room rate starts at somewhere around 85,000 per night.
53:02And the second option that you have, which is the costlier one,
53:05is somewhere around 3,90,000.
53:09Now let's talk about ITC Moria,
53:12which is one of the very few five-star hotels,
53:14which is actually available for booking,
53:16where the rooms are actually available for September 12th and 13th.
53:20If you look at the calendar,
53:21it is available on September 12th and 13th.
53:25Now let's take a look at the prices.
53:27How much will you have to shell out at ITC Moria?
53:30So it has only one option,
53:32which is available for September 12th.
53:35And the price is somewhere around 2,55,000.
53:40So that is the only room that is available at ITC Moria.
53:44And though it is accepting bookings,
53:46but the price, the price, there you see,
53:49you will have to spend 2,55,000 for one room,
53:53for one single night at this property.