A look at the headlines right now:

  1. The government’s new ‘Saubhagya’ scheme aims to electrify all households by 2019: Billed as a pro-poor initiative, it also aims to improve healthcare services, education and quality of life.   
  2. Teesta Setalvad says she has been wrongfully detained over protests at Banaras Hindu University: Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the students immediately as it was his constituency. 
  3. Bibek Debroy to head new Economic Advisory Council: The move comes amid criticism of the government’s GST regime and the demonetisation drive, both of which were blamed for India’s low GDP growth.   
  4. Lack of private investment hurt the economy, says Arun Jaitley: At the BJP national executive meet, he said the prime minister’s fight against corruption was ‘uncompromised’.
  5. Ram Rahim Singh moves High Court against conviction in rape cases: The Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison last month for raping two of his followers.  
  6. Retired Madras High Court judge to lead inquiry into Jayalalithaa’s death: TTV Dinakaran said they had a video of the former chief minister in hospital.
  7. Japan PM Shinzo Abe calls for early polls, to dissolve Parliament: I hope to gain the confidence of the people in the upcoming election, Abe said. 
  8. Reliance Industries jumps five places to No. 3 among world’s top energy companies: Indian Oil Corporation broke into the top 10 of the list, but Coal India slipped to 45 from 38.
  9. Palestinian prime minister to visit Gaza on October 2 to take over government from Hamas: The move comes a week after Hamas agreed to hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas’ movement, Fatah, to end a decade-long split.   
  10. Iraq’s Kurds vote in historic independence referendum despite international opposition: The Iraqi government, the United States, Iran and Turkey have all called the referendum illegitimate and a dangerous step towards the division of the country.