Here's a rundown of 11 significant news stories to keep you in the know:

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#ModiInUS ⚡

Discrimination has no place in Indian democracy: PM Modi in US

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dismissed concerns that minority communities in India were being discriminated against. Modi, responding to a reporter’s question following a joint statement with US President Joe Biden at the White House, said no Indian citizen is discriminated against on the basis of caste, creed, religion, or gender.

“India is indeed a democracy. And, as President Biden also mentioned, for both India and America, democracy is in our DNA, democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy. And, our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our constitution,” Modi said.

From dosa to aloo paratha, shrikhand to sandesh, we enjoy it all; India is home to all faiths: PM Modi

"From dosa to aloo paratha, from shrikhand to sandesh, we enjoy all of it. We are home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the US Congress at Capitol Hill.

PM Modi was speaking about how diversity is the natural way of life in India. "Today, the world wants to know more and more about India. I see the curiosity in this House too. We had the honour to receive over 100 members of the US Congress in India over the last decade," he said.

India and US to send astronaut to International Space Station in 2024: Biden and Modi announce

US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that India and the US will be collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024. The announcement came after a meeting between Biden and Modi in the US, where they discussed various areas of cooperation.

During the media address following their talks, Biden highlighted the extensive collaboration between the two countries in numerous fields, from advancing healthcare to space exploration.

.#WorldView

PM Modi’s state visit to Egypt — here's why it is highly significant in the Asian context

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on two highly important State visits to the US and Egypt -- India’s strategic partners, this week. While the US is the Global Comprehensive Strategic Partner of India the relationship with Cairo acquired the historic heft yet again during the visit of President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi as a Chief Guest at the 74th Republic Day of India a few months before. Modi is scheduled for a state visit to Egypt on June 24-25, upon the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

While a lot has been written about the visit and important outcomes with the US and rightly so, the importance of PM’s visit to Cairo is also highly significant in the Asian context since West Asia and North Africa are strategically important geography for India’s critical and crucial strategic interests.

#Economy

Monetary policy 'dangerously close' to damaging the economy: Jayanth Varma in MPC minutes

The monetary policy is 'dangerously close' to levels at which it can inflict significant damage to the economy, said Professor Jayanth R Varma in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) minutes released on Thursday, June 22. Varma highlighted that "based on the forecast inflation for 5.1 percent for 2023-24, the real repo rate is now almost 1½ percent.” “Despite this, the majority of the MPC wishes to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation whatever that phrase might mean,” Varma said.

The RBI MPC member, who has expressed his reservations on the continuation of the policy stance in the June 6-8 meeting, pointed out that MPC's stance is becoming more and more disconnected from reality.

#BusinessNews

LIC is trying to convince global investors that it's worth more than $48 billion

State-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation’s (LIC) top management, along with senior government officials, have had meetings with investors starting June 2023. The US leg of the international roadshows has just concluded, and the ones in Singapore, Hong Kong and the UK rounds are still due.

Government sources told CNBC-TV18 that these are "non-deal" roadshows and the plan is to help the insurance giant communicate with a wider set of investors, as the insurance giant turned a year old in the Indian stock market, and in that time, the LIC share price has lost a third of its value compared to the issue price of Rs 949 apiece. The emphasis on "non-deal" is meant to assure the street that there won't be another stake sale, or fresh issue of shares, at least not any time soon, contrary to the market murmurs.

No recovery in sight for Indian IT as analysts remain cautious post-Accenture results

The September quarter is also likely to be weak for Indian IT companies as growth challenges persist. This was the key takeaway from all analyst commentary post Accenture's results on Thursday.

Global IT services firm Accenture reported results on Thursday evening where it cut the upper end of its revenue growth guidance band to 8-9 percent from 8-10 percent earlier. It now expects 2-6 percent Constant Currency growth in the fourth quarter, compared to 6-10 percent earlier.

GE Aerospace signs accord with HAL to produce F414 fighter engines for IAF

Leading engine maker GE Aerospace on Thursday said it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The MoU was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official State visit to the United States and is a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

#StartUps

BYJU’S: 3 directors on board walk out, auditor follows — Here’s a blow-by-blow account

In a big development, three directors of edtech giant BYJU’S have resigned from the company’s board over how the business was being at the firm, CNBC-TV18 has learnt from sources. The three directors who have resigned are G V Ravishankar of Peak XV erstwhile Sequoia Capital India, Vivian Wu of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Russell Dreisenstock of Prosus.

Not just this, in a string of setbacks for BYJU’s, Deloitte has also stepped down as auditor and BYJU’S has appointed BDO MSKA associates as auditor to strengthen "governance".

#PersonalFinance

ITR filing — gifts need to be declared and here you see how they are taxed

Gifts are a great way of expressing greetings and conveying our best wishes to our loved ones. Whether cash, gold, or silver, exchanging gifts fosters stronger relationships, intimacy, and affection. But many of us are not aware of one fact related to gifting — receiving gifts attracts taxes too unless they fall under an exempted category.

Consequently, taxpayer is liable to fully disclose gifts received during the financial year when filing an income tax return (ITR) and taxes should be paid on them to avoid any litigation disputes or penalties.

#TravelWithCNBCTV18

Uncover the joy of reading in Bengaluru with this community for book lovers

In a fast-paced world where time seems to slip away, finding moments to indulge in the simple pleasure of reading can be a challenge. However, thanks to a unique reading community called Cubbon Reads, book lovers in Bengaluru have found a haven where they can escape into the world of literature while connecting with like-minded individuals. What began as a small gathering has blossomed into a thriving community, leaving a lasting impact on both the city's literary landscape and the lives of its participants.

Founded in 2022 by Harsh and Shruti, Cubbon Reads emerged as a solution to the ever-elusive quest for quality reading time while being outdoors in the lap of nature. The first official session of Cubbon Reads was hosted on 7 January (first Saturday of the month) where six attendees were present, mostly friends of Harsh and Shruti.

Beyond #Newsroom