NEWS UPDATES

Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said the MGP remains part of the alliance and will respect its principles, but questioned whether Govind Gaude has the authority to comment on alliance matters. Dhavalikar said such issues should be discussed through the BJP’s Core Committee and Executive Committee, which he described as the appropriate forums for alliance decisions. • Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said he would ensure that his son Mithil Dhavalikar gets the election ticket from Madkai if he chooses to contest from the constituency; says if Mithil decides to contest from another constituency, the matter would be considered at that time. • Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is set to inaugurate the newly constructed Porvorim flyover on September 10. PWD Minister Digambar Kamat met Gadkari in New Delhi and invited him for the inauguration. • FDA officials intercepted a private vehicle from Belagavi carrying around 120 kg of sweets for supply to vendors across Goa. The supplier was found operating without a valid FSSAI licence, following which the entire stock was destroyed in the interest of public health. • The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Act, 2025 has come into force from August 6, 2026. The Law Ministry has directed the Census Commissioner to ascertain/estimate Goa’s Scheduled Tribe population as per the last census, paving the way for further action on ST political reservation in the Assembly. • CM Pramod Sawant announces education loans at 4% interest for ST and OBC students pursuing higher education outside Goa. • The Goa Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Chief Executive Engineer of Department of Drinking Water, Member Secretary of Goa State Pollution Control Board and the management of Club Mahindra Resort in Assonora following a complaint filed by local residents alleging the severe pollution of the Par River—the primary source of drinking water for the entire Bardez Taluka. The Commission has directed all respondents to to submit their replies on August 26, 2026. • Former Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar announces plans to contest the 2027 Assembly elections from Mandrem. Parsekar says he has met Dayanand Sopte and both are together for the future of Mandrem. • Minister Mauvin Godinho says AI cameras are still in the trial phase and traffic violations have dropped to a few hundred, indicating better compliance. He said motorists are also queuing at PUC centres and obtaining third-party insurance, stressing that the government’s aim is to ensure traffic discipline, not impose fines. • The Mormugao Port Trust Pensioners’ Association met Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi, seeking resolution of their long-pending grievances. Sonowal spoke to the Mormugao Port Authority Chairperson and assured the pensioners that their issues would be addressed at the earliest. Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said the MGP remains part of the alliance and will respect its principles, but questioned whether Govind Gaude has the authority to comment on alliance matters. Dhavalikar said such issues should be discussed through the BJP’s Core Committee and Executive Committee, which he described as the appropriate forums for alliance decisions. • Minister Sudin Dhavalikar said he would ensure that his son Mithil Dhavalikar gets the election ticket from Madkai if he chooses to contest from the constituency; says if Mithil decides to contest from another constituency, the matter would be considered at that time. • Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is set to inaugurate the newly constructed Porvorim flyover on September 10. PWD Minister Digambar Kamat met Gadkari in New Delhi and invited him for the inauguration. • FDA officials intercepted a private vehicle from Belagavi carrying around 120 kg of sweets for supply to vendors across Goa. The supplier was found operating without a valid FSSAI licence, following which the entire stock was destroyed in the interest of public health. • The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Act, 2025 has come into force from August 6, 2026. The Law Ministry has directed the Census Commissioner to ascertain/estimate Goa’s Scheduled Tribe population as per the last census, paving the way for further action on ST political reservation in the Assembly. • CM Pramod Sawant announces education loans at 4% interest for ST and OBC students pursuing higher education outside Goa. • The Goa Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Chief Executive Engineer of Department of Drinking Water, Member Secretary of Goa State Pollution Control Board and the management of Club Mahindra Resort in Assonora following a complaint filed by local residents alleging the severe pollution of the Par River—the primary source of drinking water for the entire Bardez Taluka. The Commission has directed all respondents to to submit their replies on August 26, 2026. • Former Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar announces plans to contest the 2027 Assembly elections from Mandrem. Parsekar says he has met Dayanand Sopte and both are together for the future of Mandrem. • Minister Mauvin Godinho says AI cameras are still in the trial phase and traffic violations have dropped to a few hundred, indicating better compliance. He said motorists are also queuing at PUC centres and obtaining third-party insurance, stressing that the government’s aim is to ensure traffic discipline, not impose fines. • The Mormugao Port Trust Pensioners’ Association met Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi, seeking resolution of their long-pending grievances. Sonowal spoke to the Mormugao Port Authority Chairperson and assured the pensioners that their issues would be addressed at the earliest.

Episode 569 • 12th Aug 2025

From Embassies to UPSC | Sanjay Verma | Member, UPSC | Gazali | 120825

12th Aug 2025

About this episode

As part of our Gazali series, we had the privilege of interviewing Sanjay Verma, a seasoned Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from Delhi, now serving as a Member of the UPSC. A 1990 batch officer, Sanjay Verma has held key diplomatic roles including Ambassador to Spain, Andorra, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the African Union, and has served in missions across Beijing, Kathmandu, Manila, and Hong Kong. His diverse portfolio spans bilateral relations, multilateral diplomacy (UN, NAM, G77), economic affairs, media, diaspora engagement, and humanitarian missions like Operation Rahat (Yemen), Operation Ganga (Ukraine), and Operation Dost (Türkiye). He has served as Secretary (West), Chief of Protocol, and Joint Secretary for Energy Security, among other senior roles. An alumnus of Wilson College, Jai Hind College, and JNU, he holds an M.A. in International Studies and has been awarded the Dorabji Tata Scholarshipand a UGC Fellowship. Outside of diplomacy, he enjoys reading, podcasts, music, films, and collecting first-edition booksand Bollywood memorabilia—with a sportsman’s heart, having played university-level hockey in Mumbai. #Gazali #SanjayVerma #UPSC #IndianForeignService #CivilServicesIndia #DiplomacyInAction #CareerInDiplomacy #PublicService #GlobalDiplomacy #ForeignPolicy #InternationalAffairs #BilateralTies #OperationGanga #OperationRahat #OperationDost #InspiringMinds #LeadershipJourney #CareerInspiration #StudentVoices

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