THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, festivals like Pongal strengthen spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat; Stresses Tamil culture a shared heritage of the entire nation and humanity at large.
- New Delhi asks Indian nationals to leave Iran immediately amid rapidly evolving security situation and continuing unrest in West Asian country.
- Government says it is committed to Aravalli range conservation and stop illegal mining.
- Calcutta High Court disposes of Trinamool Congress’ plea against Enforcement Directorate over I-PAC raids.
- Twenty-nine Maoists surrender in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
- In Men’s Cricket, Hosts India set a target of 285 runs against New Zealand in second ODI in Rajkot.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today emphasized that harvest festivals like Pongal strengthen the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Mr Modi was speaking after participating in the celebrations of the harvest festival, Pongal, organised at the residence of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr L. Murugan, in New Delhi today. He said, Pongal celebrates the vibrant Tamil culture and bond with nature. He asserted that Tamil culture is a shared heritage of the entire nation and humanity at large.
The Prime Minister highlighted that Pongal, which gave the message of maintaining harmonious balance with nature, has emerged as a global festival, cherished by Tamil community world over. He said, the festival celebrates the hard work of country’s farmers. Prime Minister Modi has said, farmers are strong partners in nation-building and that their efforts are greatly strengthening the campaign for a self-reliant India. He stated that the Centre is committed to empowering farmers and is working tirelessly in this direction. He stated that the government is continuously working to make agriculture more sustainable and environment-friendly.
Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan, and several Union Ministers including Jagat Prakash Nadda, G Kishan Reddy and Ram Mohan Naidu also attended Pongal celebrations at Dr L Murugan’s the residence.
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The festivals of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu, and Uttarayan, marking the harvest season are being celebrated with great fervor across the country today. Observed under different names and customs in different regions of the country, these festivals herald the change of seasons, the Sun’s northward journey, and the harvest of crops nurtured through months of dedication and hard work.
In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the vibrant festival of Pongal is in full swing.
President, Vice President and Prime Minister have greeted fellow countrymen on the auspicious occasion.
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India has advised all its nationals to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights amid escalating protests in the West Asian country and a rapidly evolving security situation. The advisory applies to students, pilgrims, businesspersons, tourists, and other Indian citizens present in Iran.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry has once again strongly advised Indian nationals to avoid travel to Iran until further notice. In an earlier advisory, the Ministry had urged Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to the West Asian country. More from our correspondent:
“The Ministry of External Affairs in its advisory had asked Indian citizens and Persons of Indian Origin, PIOs residing in Iran to exercise due caution and avoid visiting areas of protests. MEA said, Indian nationals living in Iran on resident-visas are advised to register with the Indian Embassy, if not already done so. The emergency contact helplines of the Indian Embassy in Tehran are +989128109115; +989128109109; +989128109102; +989932179359. The Embassy can also be reached through email at cons.tehran@mea.gov.in. There are approximately 10 thousand Indians in Iran, including many students. Iran is also visited every year by thousands of Shia pilgrims from different parts of India. Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
In Iran, human rights groups are reporting that the death toll in security crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests has crossed 2 thousand 600. Several Iranians reportedly crossed the border into Turkiye amid crack down.
US President Donald Trump has said help is on its way and added that the United States would take very strong action if protesters were put to death.
On the other hand, Iran has warned neighbouring countries hosting US troops that it will retaliate against American bases if Washington carries out threats to intervene in protests in the country.
Quoting three diplomats, a news agency reported that the United States is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the West Asia.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the new Amrit Bharat trains mark a significant step in improving passenger comfort and connectivity. Sharing the social media post of Minister for Railways Aswini Vaishnaw regarding flagging off of nine new Amrit Bharat Express trains, Mr Modi said, other benefits include boosting commerce and tourism.
Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw yesterday had announced that nine new Amrit Bharat Express trains will be flagged off soon.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said veterans of the armed forces are the living pillars of national consciousness, symbols of collective courage, and sources of inspiration for future generations. The Minister was addressing the Armed Forces Veterans’ Day in New Delhi.
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The Department of Financial Services today launched the Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima for Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries. This insurance policy offers cashless facilities, modern treatments and access to a wide network of hospitals. The Finance Ministry said that the policy is exclusively available to CGHS beneficiaries with a maximum of six members per policy. It provides indemnity-based in-patient hospitalization coverage within India, with sum insured options of 10 Lakh or 20 Lakh rupees. This optional health insurance plan will be available as a retail product for all CGHS beneficiaries, with No GST to ensure maximum affordability.
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Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav today reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to ecological conservation of the Aravalli range. He said that nearly 97 kilometers of Aravalli revenue land has been declared a permanent protected forest to prevent encroachment and illegal mining. Speaking at the National Conference on Eco-restoration of the Aravalli Landscape in New Delhi, he highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land across the country. The Minister also informed that under the Aravalli Green Wall Project, six lakh 45 thousand hectares of degraded land have been identified, with two lakh 70 thousand hectares being restored across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
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The Calcutta High Court today disposed of the petition filed by the Trinamool Congress seeking preservation of confidential political data allegedly seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during its raids at the offices and residence of political consultancy firm I-PAC Chief Prateek Jain in Kolkata last week. The ED informed the court that no documents or data had been taken from I-PAC’s premises. Following this submission, Justice Shubhra Ghosh dismissed the plea filed by the Trinamool Congress.
Meanwhile, the ED has also approached the Supreme Court with similar demands, including a request for a CBI investigation. In view of this, Justice Ghosh adjourned the ED’s petition in the Calcutta High Court, ordering that proceedings remain suspended until the Supreme Court delivers its ruling.
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In Chhattisgarh, 29 Maoists surrendered before the police in Sukma district today. One of the surrendered Maoists was carrying a reward of two lakh rupees. Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavhan said the surrendered Maoists will be provided an incentive of fifty thousand rupees each under the State Government’s rehabilitation policy, along with other facilities.
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Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today said that India has achieved a milestone towards energy self-sufficiency. In a social media post, Mr Puri informed that Urja Bharat PTE Limited, a joint venture between Indian Oil and Bharat Petro Resources Limited has successfully discovered light crude oil in Abu Dhabi’s Onshore Block-1. Mr Puri highlighted that such international partnerships will further strengthen India’s energy security.
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Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri today met Vice Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Sun Haiyan in New Delhi. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that they both discussed the progress made in stabilizing and rebuilding bilateral ties with priority on business and people-centric engagements, and ways to take bilateral engagement forward in the new year.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in New Delhi tomorrow. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will chair the conference. 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers of 42 Commonwealth countries and four semi-autonomous parliaments will attend the Conference.
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Prime Minister Modi will address the National Startup Day 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday. Briefing media in New Delhi this afternoon, Secretary, DPIIT, Amardeep Singh Bhatia said it is a very special day for everyone connected to the startup ecosystem.
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The Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Kaundinya (INSV) has arrived at Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, Oman today after successfully completing its maiden voyage from Gujarat. The indigenously built traditional stitched sailing vessel, INSV Kaundinya commenced its maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar, Gujarat on 29th December last year.
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In Thailand, 32 people lost their lives and 65 others were injured when a construction crane fell on top of a moving train carriage this morning. The train was heading towards Ubon Ratchathani province in northeastern region of the country from Bangkok.
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In Men’s Cricket, Hosts India have set a target of 285 runs against New Zealand in second ODI of three-match series in Rajkot. Earlier, put in to bat, India posted 284 runs for the loss of seven wickets in stipulated 50 overs. For the hosts, KL Rahul scored highest 112 runs not out off 92 balls. In reply, New Zealand were 255 for 3 in 44.5 overs when reports last came in.
Earlier, the Visitors won the toss and opted to field first. Indian team is currently leading the series 1-nil after winning the first ODI by four wickets at Vadodara on Sunday. The third and final match of the series will be played in Indore on 18th of this month.
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In the India Open Badminton, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after securing a hard-fought victory over compatriot Tharun Mannepalli in the Round of 32 of Men’s Singles. HS Prannoy also defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in his opening round clash. In Women’s Singles, former world champion PV Sindhu lost to Thuy Linh Nguyen of Vietnam in a round of 64 match.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts, festivals like Pongal strengthen spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat; Stresses Tamil culture a shared heritage of the entire nation and humanity at large.
- New Delhi asks Indian nationals to leave Iran immediately amid rapidly evolving security situation and continuing unrest in West Asian country.
- Government says it is committed to Aravalli range conservation and stop illegal mining.
- Calcutta High Court disposes of Trinamool Congress’ plea against Enforcement Directorate over I-PAC raids.
- Twenty-nine Maoists surrender in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh.
- In Men’s Cricket, Hosts India set a target of 285 runs against New Zealand in second ODI in Rajkot.
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