THE HEADLINES:
- Maharashtra government signs 54 MoUs worth 15.70 lakh crore rupees during World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
- Parakram Diwas being celebrated on the occasion of 128th Birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose today.
- CBI moves Calcutta High Court, seeking death penalty for convict Sanjay Roy, in RG Kar case.
- At least 12 people killed as passengers of Pushpak Express hit by another train in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.
- Employees' Provident Fund Organisation adds 14 lakh 63 thousand members during November last year.
- In Cricket, India beat England by seven wickets in first T20 International at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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Maharashtra government has signed 54 MoUs worth 15.70 lakh crore rupees during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos. A statement from Chief Minister’s Office said that these agreements are expected to generate approximately 16 lakh jobs across various sectors. One of the key agreements involves MSN Holdings Ltd, which plans to establish an advanced lithium battery and cell manufacturing project under the state’s ‘Ultra Mega Project’ initiative.
"The project, requiring an investment of rupees 14,652 crore, aims to create 8,760 direct and indirect jobs, with a focus on development in the Vidarbha region. The largest MoU signed with Reliance Group, which has committed more than 3 lakh crore rupees for investments across petrochemicals, polyester, renewable energy, bioenergy, green hydrogen, hospitality, and real estate etc. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has emphasized the state’s goal of achieving a 1 trillion dollar economy. These investments are part of efforts to attract global capital and expand Maharashtra’s industrial base. Bhavana Gokhale, Mumbai."
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Parakram Diwas 2025 is being celebrated today to honour the legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the occasion of his 128th Birth anniversary. The three day celebration organized by the Ministry of Culture, will be held in Cuttack, Odisha, the birthplace of Netaji. Recently, in his Mann ki Baat program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mentioned Parakram Diwas and remembered the contributions of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Terming Subhash Babu a visionary leader, Mr. Modi said, courage was ingrained in Netaji’s nature. He urged the country's youth to read as much as possible about Netaji and derive inspiration from his life.
Our correspondent reports that the Parakram Diwas 2025 event will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi.
"On the occasion several dignitaries will pay homage to Netaji and hoist the National Flag at the house where Netaji was born, which has now been converted to a Museum dedicated in the memory of Subhas Chandra Bose. The Parakram Diwas celebration at Barabati fort will begin with a video message by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will feature a Book, Photo and Archival exhibition focused on Netaji’s life, showcasing rare photographs, letters and documents from his remarkable journey. A sculpture photoshop and a painting competition-cum-workshop are also being planned on the occasion. The event will also feature cultural performances honouring Netaji’s legacy and highlighting the rich cultural tradition of Odisha. Films on Netaji’s life will also be screened during the event. Adarsh for Akashvani News, Delhi."
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A full dress rehearsal of Republic Day parade will take place on Kartavya Path in the national capital today. The parade rehearsal will start at 10:30 AM from Vijay Chowk and will proceed to Red Fort. To ensure a smooth parade, elaborate traffic arrangements have been made in the National Capital. According to the Delhi Police, Delhi Metro rail services will be available for passengers during the rehearsal, and all stations are open to the public.
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The 70 member Delhi assembly will go to polls on 5th of next month. Akashvani News brings you a special series in view of Delhi assembly elections. Today we will listen to a report on Badli constituency.
"Delhi’s Badli seat is one of the high profile seats of the national capital, which is going to face a tough triangular contest this time. Congress state president Devendra Yadav is contesting against Aam Aadmi Party candidate Ajesh Yadav, while, BJP has fielded former Delhi University president Deepak Chaudhary from this seat. Since 1993, the Badli assembly seat has seen fluctuating political fortunes, with BJP winning three times, Congress twice and Aam Aadmi Party twice. Badli constituency, located in Rohini in North West Delhi, has over two lakh thirty thousand voters. Key issues faced by the people of Badli are poor maintenance of roads, water drainage, lack of street lights and sanitation. Bhupendra Singh, Akashvani News, Delhi."
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The CBI has filed an appeal before the Calcutta High Court, seeking death sentence for Sanjay Roy, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Sealdah court in RG Kar Medical College rape and murder case. A sessions court in Kolkata's Sealdah had sentenced prime accused Sanjoy Roy to life imprisonment on Monday.
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In Maharashtra, 12 people lost their lives and several others were injured in a train accident in Jalgaon district yesterday evening. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav have expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished speedy recovery for the injured.
"The accident took place near Pachora railway station in Jalgaon district at around 4 PM on Wednesday. According to the Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, Dr Swapnil Nila, the Pushpak Express experienced an alarm chain-pulling incident following a rumour of a fire in one of the adjacent coaches. As a result, some passengers disembarked from the train. While on the tracks, several of them were struck by the Karnataka Express, coming from the opposite direction. In a tweet, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees to the families of the deceased. He also assured that the state government would bear the full medical expenses of the injured. Mr Fadnavis has updated Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the incident. Ankita Apte, Akashvani News, Mumbai."
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The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has added 14 lakh 63 thousand members during November last year. This represents an increase of 9.07 per cent in net members as compared to October 2024. The Ministry of Labour and Employment attributed this surge to growing employment opportunities, increased awareness of employee benefits, and EPFO's successful outreach programmes. According to EPFO, around 8 lakh 74 thousand new members have been added in November last year. The new payroll data highlights that four lakh 81 thousand new members in the 18 to 25 age group and 2 lakh 40 thousand new female members were added in November 2024.
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News from Mahakhumbh,
Devotees and Pilgrims attending the Mahakumbh Mela at Prayagraj will no longer need to wander in search of essential facilities as a revamped chatbot has been introduced for their convenience. Equipped with three new features, the AI-based chatbot aims to enhance the experience of devotees.
"The chatbot will provide accurate details about parking spaces, food courts, and hospitals within a one kilometer radius of the user. It will not only provide pilgrims with a complete mapping of the Mahakumbh but also offer detailed information about each sector along with Google Map links for easy navigation. Additional Mela Officer Vivek Chaturvedi said that the AI chatbot is enabling pilgrims to access vital information about parking, transportation, banking, water ATMs, and other services within seconds. By simply scanning a QR code, pilgrims can instantly receive key information directly on their mobile devices. Anand Kumar, Prayagraj, Akashvani News."
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Onto sports now, In Cricket, India defeated England by seven wickets in the first T20I of the five-match series at Eden Gardens in Kolkata last night.
"India put on a spectacular performance in Kolkata last night, excelling with both bat and ball. After choosing to bowl first, India restricted England to a modest total of 132 runs. For India, Varun Chakravarthy was the star bowler, claiming three crucial wickets. Chasing a target of 133, as India cruised to victory in just 12.5 overs.
In the ICC Under-19 Women’s Cricket T20 World Cup, defending champions India are set to face Sri Lanka today in their final Group A match. The game will take place at the Bayuemas Oval Stadium in Kuala Lumpur with a noon start.
And at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025 in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, India’s Gukesh Dommaraju showcased his brilliance in Round 5 of the Masters section. Meanwhile, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa continued his strong form, securing a steady draw against Dutch Grandmaster Max Warmerdam. With five rounds completed, Praggnanandhaa shares the top spot with Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, both tied at four points. MANIK SHARMA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI."
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cold wave conditions in isolated pockets of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Himachal Pradesh till tomorrow. IMD also predicted dense to very dense fog conditions to continue to prevail during night and morning hours in Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura today. The weather agency has also estimated the same fog condition for West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar, and Odisha till tomorrow.
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Railway has informed that over 25 trains are running late due to fog conditions. These trains include Duronto Express, Bihar Sampark Kranti, Lucknow Mail, UP Sampark Kranti, Rajdhani Express, Poorva Express among others. Railway said that these trains are running around minimum 30 minutes and maximum four hours late from their scheduled time.
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TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- The government raises MSP by up to 5% for seven rabi crops for the 2025-26 season, writes The Economic Times. The Indian Express reports that the increased MSP of 5,650 rupees per quintal for raw jute, will ensure return of 66.8 per cent over all-India weighted average cost of production and will benefit growers.
- Hours after the inauguration of the US President Donald Trump, Quad nations sent out a clear message to China, in a joint statement, strongly opposing any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion, reports The Times of India.
- After meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a statement, has called the 2023 attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco a “very serious matter”, writes Hindustan Times.
- And finally, In a first, tri-service tableau to feature in Republic Day parade this year writes The Tribune with the theme 'Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat'.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN-
- Maharashtra government signs 54 MoUs worth 15.70 lakh crore rupees during World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.
- Parakram Diwas being celebrated on the occasion of 128th Birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose today.
- CBI moves Calcutta High Court, seeking death penalty for convict Sanjay Roy, in RG Kar case.
- At least 12 people killed as passengers of Pushpak Express hit by another train in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.
- Employees' Provident Fund Organisation adds 14 lakh 63 thousand members during November last year.
- In Cricket, India beat England by seven wickets in first T20 International at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
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