THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, India moving rapidly to become developed nation with reforms playing crucial role in achieving this objective.
- Home Minister Amit Shah says, every state must be developed to its full potential to make India an ambitious, self-reliant and confident nation.
- Iran warns, US and Israel will be target if Trump administration strikes over protests; Death toll in nationwide unrest crosses 200.
- North India shivers as Cold Wave tightens grip; IMD issues Yellow Alert for Delhi.
- And, in Men’s Cricket, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill steer India to commanding Position in 301-run chase against New Zealand in first ODI at Vadodara.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said, India is witnessing an unprecedented phase of certainty amidst great global uncertainty. Mr Modi was speaking after inaugurating the two-day Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions in Rajkot. He said, India is moving rapidly to become a developed nation with reforms playing crucial role in achieving this objective.
The Prime Minister urged industry leaders to invest in India and the Saurashtra-Kutch region, saying this is the right time for investment.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said, today the Vibrant Gujarat Summit has become a strong platform for global growth, international cooperation, and partnerships. On the occasion, the Prime Minister virtually launched 13 greenfield smart industrial estates across seven districts of Saurashtra and inaugurated a specialised medical device park in Rajkot. Our correspondent reports that Industry leaders made major announcements at Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot today to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat:
“Today’s Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot became a major milestone for the “Viksit Bharat” vision as top industry leaders announced massive expansion plans. Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani made the biggest announcements by promising to double the group’s investment in Gujarat to 7 lakh crore rupees over the next five years. This plan focuses heavily on Jamnagar, which is set to become India’s top hub for clean energy exports and will house the nation’s largest AI-ready data center. Beyond industry, Reliance will also partner with the state government to manage the Veer Savarkar Multi Sports Complex in Ahmedabad to train world-class athletes. Adding to this momentum, the Adani Group announced a 1.5 lakh crore rupee investment for the Kutch region. Managing Director Karan Adani shared that the world’s largest clean energy park at Khavda will be fully ready by 2030, while the capacity of Mundra Port will be doubled to strengthen India’s trade over the next 10 years. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.”
Earlier, on the second day of his visit to Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Trade Exhibition in Rajkot. Spanning across an expansive 18,000 square meters, this grand exhibition is a vibrant showcase of development and innovation.
In the morning, Prime Minister Modi took part in the historic Somnath Swabhiman Parv, celebrating the enduring spirit of the Somnath Temple, at coastal town of Prabhas Patan in Gir Somnath district.
Addressing a massive gathering on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi called upon citizens to stay united and defeat all forces conspiring to divide the country.
<><><>
In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the final section of Phase 2 of the Ahmedabad Metro Rail project, connecting Sector 10A to Mahatma Mandir. The 7.88 km stretch with seven stations will link Mahatma Mandir to Motera Stadium and improve connectivity to key landmarks such as Akshardham, LDRP College, GIFT City, and Gandhinagar.
<><><>
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will be on a two day visit to India from tomorow. This will be Chancellor Merz’s first official visit to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the German Chancellor tomorrow in Ahmedabad. The two leaders will take stock of the progress made in diverse aspects of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, which completed 25 years last year. External Affairs Ministry said, the discussion will also focus on further intensifying cooperation in trade and investment, technology, education, skilling and mobility.
<><><>
Tomorrow is National Youth Day. The day is observed every year on 12th of January to commemorate the birth anniversary of the great spiritual leader and philosopher Swami Vivekananda. His inspiring life and empowering message continue to motivate young people to pursue their dreams, harness their inner strength, and build a future guided by his ideals.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the concluding session of the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi. Mr Modi will interact with around three thousand youth from across the country, along with young delegates representing the international diaspora.
<><><>
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said, the Narendra Modi government envisions India as a confident, ambitious, and self-reliant nation, stressing that every state must realise its full potential to achieve this goal. Mr Shah was speaking after inaugurating the New India, New Kerala Conclave in Thiruvananthapuram. Mr. Shah praised Kerala’s performance in sectors such as Ayurveda, Information Technology, tourism, and sports. He however added that the state needs fresh leadership under the BJP-led NDA to overcome what he described as political stagnation caused by the LDF and UDF governments. He also demanded that the investigation into Sabarimala gold theft case be handed over to a neutral agency and accused both fronts of shielding each other in corruption cases.
<><><>
The BJP has criticised Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her alleged interference during the Enforcement Directorate raids at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata. Addressing the media in New Delhi, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the Chief Minister’s decision to visit the I-PAC office, stating that it is neither a TMC office nor the residence of any party leader.
<><><>
National Working President of the BJP, Nitin Nabin, today visited Neelambur at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and interacted with beneficiaries of the Viksit Bharat G RAM G scheme. More than 150 beneficiaries participated in the interaction. Addressing the gathering, Mr. Nabin said, the Viksit Bharat G RAM G scheme will benefit people at the grassroots level. He stated that development schemes are being implemented at a faster pace and that there is no middleman, ensuring benefits reach the common man directly. He alleged that the State Government is involved in corruption and should not be elected again.
<><><>
Prime Minister’s flagship platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, PRAGATI, has marked a significant milestone with the successful conduct of its 50th meeting. Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, PRAGATI has transformed governance by enabling real-time monitoring and resolution of key infrastructure projects and public grievances through direct Prime Ministerial review. Over a decade, PRAGATI has helped accelerate decision-making, resolution of issues causing delay in key infrastructure projects, and instilled a strong culture of accountability. In this special series, today our correspondent takes a look at the the four-laning of the Lucknow-Sultanpur section of National Highway-56 of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
“The Four-Laning of the Lucknow – Sultanpur section of NH-56, spanning over 127 kilometers constitutes a critical upgrade of road infrastructure in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The corridor traverses the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi and Sultanpur. Despite steady progress on engineering works, the project encountered significant constraints during implementation, primarily linked to land acquisition and environmental management. The project was reviewed by the Prime Minister in the PRAGATI meeting held on 25th April 2018 which proved to be a decisive turning point. Following the directions after PRAGATI meeting, the Government of Uttar Pradesh intensified land acquisition efforts enabling full possession of the pending land. With statutory and land-related constraints removed, NHAI significantly ramped up deployment of men and machinery. The upgraded Lucknow – Sultanpur section of NH-56 has delivered far-reaching socio-economic benefits. With Anand Kumar, Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
<><><>
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf today warned that the US military and Israel will be legitimate targets if the United States strikes the Islamic Republic over the ongoing protests roiling the country. Speaker Qalibaf’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to attack Iran if authorities used force to suppress a growing wave of nationwide protests triggered by public frustration against the government. On the other hand, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the US administration of being behind the large-scale protests in the West Asian country.
Meanwhile, nationwide anti-government protests in Iran crossed the two-week mark today, with people flooding the streets in capital Tehran and its second-largest city Mashhad this morning. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, over 200 people have lost their lives in the violence connected with the protests with the while 3,280 others have been detained.
<><><>
Cold wave conditions and dense fog are set to intensify in North India as the temperature is likely to plummet further. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for very dense fog conditions over West Rajasthan and orange alert for Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, tomorrow. A yellow alert has been issued for Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Haryana, Saurashtra, and Kutch and Bihar for next two days. Similar conditions will prevail over Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim for the next two to three days.
IMD has also forecast cold wave to severe cold wave conditions at isolated places over Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Saurashtra, and Kutch till tomorrow.
<><><>
And, in Men’s Cricket, chasing a target of 301 runs, Hosts India were 267 for 5 in 45 overs against New Zealand in the first ODI of three match series at Vadodara in Gujarat, when reports last came in. Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill built a significant partnership to put India in a commanding position in their chase of 301 runs. Shubman scored 56 runs off 71 balls before being dismissed. Virat Kohli anchored the innings and was eventually dismissed for 93 runs off 91 balls. With his knock, Virat became the fastest player to reach 28,000 international runs, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, India moving rapidly to become developed nation with reforms playing crucial role in achieving this objective.
- Home Minister Amit Shah says, every state must be developed to its full potential to make India an ambitious, self-reliant and confident nation.
- Iran warns, US and Israel will be target if Trump administration strikes over protests; Death toll in nationwide unrest crosses 200.
- North India shivers as Cold Wave tightens grip; IMD issues Yellow Alert for Delhi.
- And, in Men’s Cricket, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill steer India to commanding Position in 301-run chase against New Zealand in first ODI at Vadodara.
<><><>