THE HEADLINES:
- India and Oman ink Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to deepen trade ties between two countries.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the ‘Order of Oman’ award by Sultan of Oman; Departs for New Delhi after concluding successful three-Nation visit.
- Parliament passes SHANTI Bill for development of nuclear energy for national welfare.
- Rajya Sabha takes up Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Bill for consideration and passing.
- And Indian Men’s and Women’s teams clinch Roll Ball World Cup titles in Dubai.
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India and Oman marked a significant milestone in their bilateral economic relations by signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sultan of Oman, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. They welcomed the signing of the Agreement. Mr Modi discussed strategic issues of mutual interest with him at the Royal Palace, where he was warmly received by the Sultan and accorded a ceremonial welcome. Both the leaders met in one-on-one and delegation-level formats. Affirming that it would significantly strengthen India-Oman strategic partnership, the two sides also signed six agreements and MoUs in the fields of maritime cooperation, higher education, agriculture, millet cultivation and an MoU between the Oman Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Confederation of Indian Industry as well.
Prime Minister Modi was conferred the ‘Order of Oman’ award by the Sultan of Oman, for his exceptional contribution to India-Oman ties and his visionary leadership during a ceremony at the Royal Palace in Muscat, today.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Oman was very significant especially when both the friendly Nations are marking 70th Anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between both the Nations. The Prime Minister who paid official visit to Oman at the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman. He was conferred with the ‘Order of Oman’ award by the Sultan for Mr. Modi’s exceptional contribution to India-Oman ties and his visionary leadership. In the India-Oman joint statement, both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations, spanning trade, investment, defence, security, technology, education and people to people ties. Indian side expressed admiration for the economic diversification and sustainable development achieved by Oman under its Vision 2040. Omani side commended India for its sustained economic growth and the goal of Viksit Bharat.The two leaders condemned terrorism as well in all its forms and manifestations, reaffirming that no justification can ever be accepted for such acts. Rajesh Bali, Akashvani News, Muscat, Oman.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since left for Delhi after concluding his successful three-nation visit to Oman, Ethiopia and Jordan.
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Union Ministers Amit Shah, Dr S Jaishankar and Jagat Prakash Nadda today congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on being conferred The First Class of the Order of Oman, the highest civilian honour of Oman. In a social media post, Mr Shah said that the honour being conferred on the Prime Minister is a grand endorsement of his statesmanship and his acceptance as a global leader.
Dr Jaishankar said the bestowal of the honour is an acknowledgement of Prime Minister Modi’s steadfast commitment towards strengthening the India-Oman partnership.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the honour is a matter of immense pride for every Indian.
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Parliament has passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 with the Rajya Sabha approving it today. The Lok Sabha passed the legislation yesterday. It replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010. The legislation aim at the development of nuclear energy and ionising radiation for nuclear power generation for the welfare of the countrymen. It also seeks to provide a robust regulatory framework for its safe and secure utilisation. The Bill seeks to constitute the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and the establishment of the Atomic Energy Redressal Advisory Council. It also provides for the liability of the Central Government in the event of a nuclear incident.
Replying to a discussion on the Bill, Minister of State for Atomic Energy Dr Jitendra Singh said, be it cancer treatment with nuclear medicine or food preservation or in the fields of agriculture, nuclear technology is contributing in a big way. He assured the House that there will be no compromise on the safeguard aspects.
Initiating the discussion, Jairam Ramesh of the Congress in his speech sought to outline the development of atomic energy in India.
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Rajya Sabha has taken up discussion on Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin): Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Bill 2025 for consideration and passing. The Bill seeks to establish a rural development framework aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047. Under the legislation a statutory guarantee of one hundred and twenty-five days of wage employment will be provided in every financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to undertake unskilled manual work. The fund-sharing pattern between the central government and state governments will be 60:40 for all states other than the North-eastern and the Himalayan states wherein the sharing arrangement will be 90:10. Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan moved the Bill in the House. Initiating the discussion, Mukul Wasnik of the Congress opposed the Bill claiming that it will have adverse effect on crores of people. The discussion is underway.
Earlier, in the day, the Lok Sabha approved the G RAM G Bill. Briefing media in New Delhi, Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan accused the opposition of undermining the integrity of democracy with their conduct in the Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that the Congress party is making a mockery of democracy by tearing papers in the Parliament. BJP Spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam said this while addressing a press conference in New Delhi.
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India reaffirmed its strong medical and humanitarian support to Afghanistan. During a meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali in New Delhi yesterday, Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda noted that India has supplied 327 tonnes of medicines and vaccines to Afghanistan over the past four years. He also informed that cancer medicines and one CT scan machine, as requested by the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, are ready for dispatch and will be delivered by the end of this month.
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India and the Netherlands today highlighted their shared commitment to a free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific region. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Netherlands Foreign Minister David van Weel also reaffirmed the strong and growing defence partnership between the two countries during a meeting held in New Delhi. They discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment.
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In Bangladesh, tensions flared in Rajshahi today after police stopped a protest march heading towards the office of the Assistant High Commission of India, triggering brief clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement personnel. Following the standoff, protesters staged a sit-in on a road around 100 yards from the diplomatic office, where they continued raising slogans and delivering speeches under heightened security. Amid security concerns, Indian Visa Application Centres in Rajshahi and Khulna remained closed for the day. The incident came a day after similar tensions were reported in Dhaka, where police blocked a march towards the Indian High Commission, leading authorities to tighten security across the diplomatic zone. The Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka, which was impacted by yesterday’s protest, resumed normal operations today.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another key accused in connection with last month’s Delhi bomb blast case. NIA said that Yasir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Shopian in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir is the 9th accused to be arrested in the case. He was nabbed by an NIA team from Delhi.
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Renowned sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar passed away last night at his residence in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. He was 100 years old and had been suffering from age-related illnesses. Sutar was known for designing the world’s tallest statue – the Statue of Unity – in Gujarat. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over his demise.
“Born in the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra in 1925, Ram Vanji Sutar was a gold medallist from the J J School of Art and Architecture in Mumbai. The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditative pose and Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations. Over his demise, the President said that the exceptional contributions of the sculptor have enriched India’s artistic and cultural heritage. While, the Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan said that the extraordinary contributions of the legendary sculptor to Indian art, has left an indelible mark on our nation’s cultural heritage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was a remarkable sculptor whose mastery gave India some of its most iconic landmarks, including the Statue of Unity in Kevadia. Ram Vanji Sutar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2016 and Padma Shri in 1999. With Ankit Kumar, Saklen Akhtar for Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Indian Railways will run 138 special trains across nine zones to manage the surge during Christmas and New Year. These trains have been planned, with 650 trips proposed and approved. The Ministry of Railways in a statement said that so far 244 trips have been notified.
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The Calcutta High Court today sought a report from the West Bengal government on the chaos and vandalism at Salt Lake Stadium during the event of Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi.Hearing three separate public interest litigations, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Senhas directed the state government to submit the report to the court by December 22.
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The Indian Men’s and Women’s teams clinched the 2025 Roll Ball World Cup titles in Dubai today. Both teams defeated reigning champions Kenya in two thrilling finals to be crowned the world champions. The Indian Women’s team eked out a narrow 3-2 win to deny Kenya a hat-trick of title wins. The victory marked a third title for Indian women, equalling with Kenya.
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In Badminton, India’s men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty today defeated the Indonesian duo of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in three games 21-11, 16-21, 21-11 to inch closer to a semi final spot in the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China. With this win, Satwik and Chirag finished the day firmly on top of the group while the Indonesians have been eliminated after twin losses. Satwik and Chirag will take on the Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in their final group game tomorrow.
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Haryana’s Ketan Malik has been crowned the National Champion in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol event at the 68th National Shooting Championship Competitions, at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. Ketan today struck gold with 240, ahead of Meenu Pathak of Delhi, who took silver with 238.4, and Surbhi Rao, who claimed bronze with 219.5.
In the Junior Women’s category, Vanshika Chaudhary from Uttar Pradesh emerged on top, edging Anjali Shekhawat by 0.2 for gold, while Palak Gulia secured bronze, and Army Marksmanship Unit’s Lakshita Bishnoi claimed the youth title after a narrow 0.6 victory over Rashmika Sahgal, with Sanskriti Bana completing the podium.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- India and Oman ink Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to deepen trade ties between two countries.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the ‘Order of Oman’ award by Sultan of Oman; Departs for New Delhi after concluding successful three-Nation visit.
- Parliament passes SHANTI Bill for development of nuclear energy for national welfare.
- Rajya Sabha takes up Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Bill for consideration and passing.
- And Indian Men’s and Women’s teams clinch Roll Ball World Cup titles in Dubai.
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