Prashant Kishor Begins Hunger Strike In Patna

Maharashtra Environment and Climate Change minister Pankaja Munde on Thursday convened a high-level meeting to tackle Mumbai's deteriorating air quality, an official said.

The Air Quality Index in Mumbai was 175 on January 1, which falls under the 'poor' category. It improved to 153 on January 2.

However, air quality remains in the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' category, with particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels remaining a significant concern.

Construction activities, particularly large-scale residential projects and infrastructure developments, have contributed to the rising pollution levels, Munde said.

"Cold weather has worsened the situation by causing microparticles from these activities to linger in the air, preventing them from dispersing. Officials have briefed me on this issue. We are working on an immediate draft to combat the declining air quality," the minister added.

The Maharashtra government on Thursday transferred 12 Indian Administrative Service officers, including Milind Mhaiskar, who has been appointed as Additional Chief Secretary in the Forest and Revenue department.

Mhaiskar, who was ACS in the Health department, has been replaced by Nipun Vinayak.

Venugopal Reddy has been appointed as ACS in Higher and Technical Education department.

Santosh Patil is the new Satara Collector in place of Jitendra Dudi, who has been appointed Pune Collector replacing Suhas Diwase.

Diwase, who has been promoted, was Pune collector when controversial former trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar was serving in the district. Khedkar, from the 2023 batch, was accused of cheating and wrongly availing Other Backward Classes (OBC) and disability quota benefits to ensure her selection.

BJP appoints election officers for state presidents, national council elections

PM Modi sends chadar to Ajmer Sharif Dargah for Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

Trinamool Congress (TMC) councillor Dulal Sarkar was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal’s Malda district on Thursday morning. A senior police official stated that Sarkar, the TMC councillor from Malda, was shot in his head multiple times from close range by bike-borne assailants at the Jhaljhalia More area. 

The Congress alleged that AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal exposed his "duplicity" by shedding "crocodile tears" for farmers after becoming the first chief minister in the country to notify the farm laws. In a statement, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav claimed that it was the strong support extended to the farmers by the Congress that forced the BJP government to scrap the farm laws and Kejriwal played no role in this.

In a video he recorded before committing suicide, a 40-year-old Delhi cafe owner has alleged he was "extremely tortured" by his in-laws and wife and accused them of not respecting the court's orders in their divorce case. Puneet Khurana died by suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence in the Model Town area of northwest Delhi on Tuesday. His family members have alleged Khurana was being harassed by his wife and in-laws, police said in a statement. Investigators said the allegations are yet to be verified.

Slow traffic movement observed at the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

BJP workers staged a protest against Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan against his alleged remarks on Sanatana Dharma.

Delhi BJP MPs met Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, on Thursday to push for the implementation of key development projects and presented a roadmap to transform the capital into a world-class city. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, BJP MPs highlighted key proposals, including expanding metro connectivity, implementing NaMo Bharat corridors, and expediting housing projects for slum dwellers. Yogendra Chandolia emphasised the demand for establishing an education hub and a world-class stadium in Narela, while, Manoj Tiwari underscored the need for metro connectivity to Central Vista to benefit thousands of employees and visitors.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a veterinary college and inaugurated a free health camp during his visit to Dharampur taluka in Gujarat's Valsad district. An RSS release said Bhagwat first visited the campus of the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission in Dharampur in the presence of the mission's spiritual leader Gurudevshri Rakeshji.

Delhi Police has launched an investigation into a cyber fraud targeting an ayurveda merchandise firm. The probe was prompted after a director of Sanyasi Ayurveda alleged that some frauds were using a promotional video of his brand, according to the FIR filed in the matter.

Indian Javelin thrower Annu Rani to be awarded with Arjuna Award. Brother says, "... Feeling very proud, 10-12 years of hard work has come to fruition..."

Noida schools up to class 8 to remain shut till further notice due to cold conditions. 

“We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy,” wrote PM Modi. 

"The women students CMR Engineering College have alleged that hostel staff recorded videos of them in the bathroom. They protested against the hostel staff and demanded action against the accused. A case has been registered and the matter is being investigated," says Inspector of Medchal police station.

National Students' Union of India (NSUI) writes PM Modi demanding to name a college under the University of Delhi after the late former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. NSUI also demands that a Central University be named after Dr Manmohan Singh and include his life journey in the curriculum.

“The BJP government has eliminated the terrorism ecosystem from the valleys,” said Amit Shah. 

“The definition of our country written in history during British rule was wrong because of their lack of knowledge. The existence of all nations of the world is geopolitical. They are formed by boundaries, as a result of either a war or an agreement,” said Amit Shah. 

At the book launch of 'J&K and Ladakh Through the Ages', Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “... The history of all corners of our country is thousands of years old where activities were done to give something to the civilisations of the world. During the time of dependence, attempts were made to make us forget this. A myth was propagated that this nation was never united and the idea of independence was redundant... A lot of people also accepted this falsehood.”

While speaking at a rally Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Colonizers tried to spread the rumor that the country was never one. Britishers didn’t do justice to writing Indian history. India is a geo culture country. Our boundaries are defined by culture.” 

The NHRC has sought an action taken report within four weeks from the Hyderbad police chief on the death of a woman in a stampede at a theatre in the Telangana capital early December where 'Pushpa 2' movie was screened.  

Team India are likely to ring in changes during the final Test of the Border Gavaskar series in Sydney

It is further informed that, Jasprit Bumrah will lead team India in Sydney test match. 

According to sources, Rohit Sharma likely to rested for Sydney test match. 

In a sharp critique of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lashed out, saying, "When the SP was in power, Gorakhpur faced electricity shortages, farmers didn’t receive the help they needed, and the medical college in the city itself was struggling—how could it treat others? As for the roads, it was hard to tell whether there was a road in the ditch or a ditch on the road."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a sharp dig at Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav stating he is chasing “Mungerilala’s unrealistic dreams.” 

While addressing a press conference, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We have taken key cabinet decision for the farmers. I appreciate police for the 11 naxals surrender yesterday.” 

"People are entering through BSF Islampur, through Sitai, through Chopra, we have news. Why are you not protesting? The border is in the hands of the BSF. If anyone thinks that they are intruding into Bengal and maligning the Trinamool, let them be warned that the Trinamool Congress does not do these things. Don't abuse Trinamool by supporting the wrongdoings of BSF," said Mamata Banerjee at a press conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a slew of development measures, including 1,675 flats for the residents of JJ clusters and two urban redevelopment projects in the city on Friday. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement said that Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Veer Savarkar College at Roshanpura, Najafgarh, which will have state-of-the-art facilities for education besides an academic block in East Delhi and an academic block in Dwarka.

The quartet of shooter Manu Bhaker, chess world champion D Gukesh, men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and para-athlete Praveen Kumar were on Thursday named recipients of this year's Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award -- the country's highest sporting honour. The 22-year-old Bhaker became independent India's first athlete to win two medals in a single edition of the Olympics with her bronze-winning show in the 10m air pistol individual and 10m air pistol mixed team events in August.

Against the backdrop of the TDP membership crossing one crore in just a few days, the party national general secretary and Minister for Education, Nara Lokesh, on Thursday entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with insurance companies for all the one crore party activists, said a press release on Thursday.

The Madras High Court has quashed a private complaint filed against VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan for his alleged hate speech against Indian women, more particularly Hindu women in an online conference held in 2020.Justice P Velmurugan quashed the complaint in a recent order while allowing a petition filed by Thirumavalavan, also a Lok Sabha MP.

 Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal’s Malda district on Thursday morning, police said.

Sarkar, the TMC councillor from Malda, was shot in his head multiple times from close range by bike-borne assailants at Jhaljhalia More area, they said.

“He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. A probe has been initiated and we are trying to identify the culprits,” a senior police officer told PTI.

The mercury plummeted in several places of Bihar on Thursday, with Dehri and Banka registering a minimum temperature of 4.4 degrees Celsius each, the coldest in the region, IMD said.

The minimum temperatures are likely to remain between 6-11 degrees Celsius over the next three-four days in various parts of Bihar, including state capital Patna, it said.

According to an India Meteorological Department bulletin, Dehri and Banka were the coldest place in the state on Thursday, followed by Aurangabad (6.7 degrees Celsius), Buxar (7.1 degrees Celsius), Bhagalpur 7.6 (degrees Celsius), Gaya and Arwal (7.8 degrees Celsius each), Vaishali (8.4 degrees Celsius), Saharsa (8.5 degrees Celsius) and Sitamarhi (8.6 degrees Celsius).

An earthquake of magnitude 3.1 struck Churachandpur, Manipur, on Thursday, the National Centre of Seismology (NCS) said.

The earthquake occurred at 12:35 pm at a depth of 10 kilometres at Latitude 24.53° N and Longitude 93.72° E, it said.

"EQ of M: 3.1, On: 02/01/2025 12:35:14 IST, Lat: 24.53 N, Long: 93.72 E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Churachandpur, Manipur," NCS posted on X.
Further details are awaited

In a positive development, the elephant population in Assam has increased and the number has gone up to 5,828.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the Assam Forest Department has recently conducted the elephant population estimation in Assam 2024.

Reacting to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's alleged remarks against Sanatan Dharma, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Thursday called it a "disrespect" to Sanatan Dharma. He further added that CM Vijayan has done it deliberately to appease the Muslim community in order to consolidate the vote bank.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that once the construction of the proposed capital of the state, Amaravati, was completed, the state would become a prime destination for filmmaking.

During an informal interaction with the media at the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) central office in Mangalagiri, CM Naidu discussed the growth of the film industry in Telangana's Hyderabad and its potential future in Andhra Pradesh.

Arif Mohammad Khan took oath as the governor of Bihar during a function at the Raj Bhavan here on Thursday.Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Justice K Vinod Chandran, administered the oath of office to Khan.The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, besides other state ministers and dignitaries.

At least 10 people were injured in a shooting outside a nightclub in Queens on Wednesday night, according to the New York City Police Department, the New York Post reported on Thursday.

The incident occurred near the Amazura nightclub in Jamaica, a neighborhood in New York City, just before 11:20 pm.

Law enforcement reported that the victims were taken to nearby hospitals, including Long Island Jewish Hospital and Cohen's Children Medical Center.

 High nitrate levels have been found in groundwater of 440 districts across India, with 20 per cent of the samples collected exceeding the permissible nitrate concentration, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has said in a report.

Nitrate contamination is a significant environmental and health concern, particularly in agricultural regions using nitrogen-based fertilizers and animal waste.

The "Annual Groundwater Quality Report – 2024" also revealed that 9.04 per cent of samples had fluoride levels above the safe limit, while 3.55 per cent showed arsenic contamination.

The Delhi Police team of PS Kishangarh, South West District, had arrested a 35-year-old thief, namely Vipin Kumar, at Karawal Nagar in the national capital. With his arrest, five mobile phones and one auto used in the commission of a crime were recovered from his possession, said officials.

According to Delhi Police Keeping in view the New Year 2025 celebrations, on December 31, staff of PS Kishangarh was deployed at various pickets in the area of PS Kishangarh.

A strong picket staff was deployed at Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg near the Katwariya Sarai police booth to check suspect vehicles and persons to maintain the law & order situation. During a picket check at about 08:00 PM, an auto was stopped for checking but the auto driver tried to take the U-turn to flee from the spot.

The alert picket staff apprehended him and on his cursory search, five mobile phones were recovered from his jacket's pocket.

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar took oath as Governor of Kerala on Thursday.

He was administered the oath of office by the Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, council of ministers, opposition leaders, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, West Bengal governor CV Anand Bose and other dignitaries were in attendance.

Rajendra Arlekar previously served as the governor of Bihar.

A day earlier, Arlekar said that wherever he goes, he does not try to confront the government or the administration; he goes there to assist the government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a slew of development measures, including 1,675 flats for the residents of JJ clusters and two urban redevelopment projects in the city on Friday.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement said that Modi will visit the newly-constructed flats for the dwellers of Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) clusters as part of slum rehabilitation project at Swabhiman Apartments in Delhi's Ashok Vihar and hand over keys to the eligible beneficiaries.

He will inaugurate 1,675 newly constructed flats, the PMO said, adding the development is in line with the prime minister's "housing for all" initiative.

A thick layer of fog engulfed Agra city on Thursday amid the inclement weather conditions in the city. The increased fog has resulted in the reduced visibility in the area.

Due to the increased fog, the iconic monument Taj Mahal was barely captured in the visuals as it was covered in a blanket of haze.

According to the prediction of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature can touch the mark of 10 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius in Agra today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded the Maharashtra government's efforts to ensure all-round development in remote and Maoist-affected areas of the state.

This comes after 11 Naxalites, who carried a bounty of more than Rs 1 crore surrendered before the police in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli.

PM Modi further extended greetings to the locals, stating that this incident will certainly boost 'Ease of Living' and pave the way for even more progress in the region.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, "I laud the Maharashtra Government's efforts to ensure all-round development in remote and Maoist-affected areas. This will certainly boost 'Ease of Living' and pave the way for even more progress. A special congratulations to my sisters and brothers of Gadchiroli and the surrounding areas!"

Arif Mohammad Khan who has been appointed as the new governor of Bihar will take oath at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday. Before taking charge, Khan paid floral tribute to former president, Rajendra Prasad in Patna.

"Today, I'll take the oath. These are the people - whose blessings are needed..." Arif Khan told ANI. Arif Khan will succeed Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who has been appointed as governor of Kerala.

A thick layer of snow covered Lahaul and Spiti as temperatures in the region continued to plummet, marking a cold spell in the area on Thursday.

Speaking to ANI, a resident described the challenges of winter, stating, "The evenings are extremely cold, while mornings are sunny but still chilly. Life here is tough, and we have to wear multiple layers of clothing to stay warm."

A fire broke out in a lorry carrying raw materials in Telanagan's Medchal-Malkajgiri district on Wednesday night, a fire official said.No loss of life was reported in the incident.

The incident was reported within the limits of Jeedimetla Police Station in Hyderabad.

The fire official further said that the fire broke out after the lorry came into contact with a high-tension wire."The tyres of the lorry burst and the fire spread due to the presence of turpentine oil," the official added.

Following an attack in United States' New Orleans that claimed 15 lives, world leaders have expressed their condemnation. Messages of condolences poured in from global leaders, including Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and others.
The leaders denounced the attack, extended sympathies to the victims and their families, and emphasised the need to combat "terrorism."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar in a post on X wrote, "Deeply saddened by the terrorist attack in New Orleans. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the victims. Wishing a swift recovery to the two injured Israeli citizens and all the wounded."

He added, "I instructed Israel's Consul General in Houston to immediately deploy a representative to the scene. Terror has no place in our world. Israel stands in solidarity with New Orleans and the United States."

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the e-office implementation system from CM House's Samatva Bhawan on Wednesday and said that the state government has made a significant move toward good governance by embracing digitisation.

The e-office system was officially launched in both the Chief Minister's office and the Chief Secretary's office on the occasion.

Women participated in a special Ganga Aarti at the Triveni Sangam in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj on Wednesday. The ritual, which also served as a rehearsal for the upcoming Kumbh Mela, was organised with the aim of promoting no limitations in Sanatana Dharma, according to Pradeep Pandey, a Prayagraj Teerth Purohit.

Speaking to ANI, Pandey said, "Today a special aarti was performed. It was a rehearsal for the Kumbh Mela. The boys will perform Triveni Aarti and the girls will perform the Ganga Aarti."

Three youths were found dead in a guest house in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah on Wednesday evening, police said. The trio had come to Bhaderwah to celebrate the new year.
The deceased were identified as Mukesh Singh (39), Ashutosh Singh, and Sunny Choudhary, all residents of Jammu.

The police were alerted after one of the deceased did not respond to the repeated phone calls from his family.

A thick layer of fog has enveloped the national capital as well as sweeping through several major cities across the nation as the cold winter weather continues to prevail with the start of the New Year 2025.

According to the India Meteorological Department, visibility at airports in Delhi on Thursday was recorded at zero meters. Similar conditions were reported in Gwalior, Agra, Amritsar, and Pathankot, as a dense layer of fog continued to impact major regions across the country.

The IMD also reported the presence of fog and low clouds over northwest, central, east, and northeast India with patches of it over coastal Andhra Pradesh today.

Bhopal Clears Toxic Waste After 40 Years of 1984 Gas Tragedy

United States President Joe Biden said on Wednesday (local time) that law enforcement is investigating any possible connection between the New Orleans 'terror' attack and the Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

The vehicles used in both incidents were rented from a car rental site, 'Turo', prompting authorities to look for links between the two events.

"We're tracking the explosion of a Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. Law enforcement and the intelligence community are investigating this as well, including whether there's any possible connection with the attack in New Orleans," Joe Biden said.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren paid homage to the victims of the Kharsawan massacre of 1948, underlining the sacrifices of the tribal community in preserving their identity and rights.

Speaking at the memorial site, Soren said, "We are paying our respects to the martyrs who fought to protect their identity."

"This is a historical place of Jharkhand. This martyr's place in Kharsawan has the history of the tribal community, the struggle of our ancestors... how aware and active they have been about their struggle for their rights," the Jharkhand CM added.

The death toll has now risen to at least 15 people in the New Orleans "act of terrorism" after a car rammed into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the early hours of Wednesday (US local time), CNN reported.

In an official statement, New Orleans Coroner Dwight McKenna said, "As of now, 15 people are deceased. It will take several days to perform all autopsies. Once we complete the autopsies and talk with the next of kin, we will release the identifications of the victims."

The Delhi Police are investigating the suicide of 40-year-old businessman Puneet Khurana, who died on Tuesday in Model Town, following allegations that marital discord and mental harassment by his wife and her family led to his death.

"The father of the deceased, Puneet Khurana, said that his son was going through marital discord and alleged that his daughter-in-law harassed him, which led to his suicide," Bhisham Singh, DCP North West Delhi, told ANI.

The FBI said it is investigating the attack early Wednesday in the city's famed French Quarter as a terrorist act and does not believe the driver acted alone.

Investigators found multiple improvised explosive devices, including two pipe bombs that were concealed within coolers and wired for remote detonation, according to a Louisiana State Police intelligence bulletin obtained by the Associated Press.

Montenegro's interior minister has said that at least 10 people, including two children, were killed in a shooting on Wednesday in the western city of Cetinje.

The shooter, who was on the run, also seriously wounded four people, said minister Danilo Saranovic at a news conference. He said that “at this moment, we are focused on arresting him.” Police dispatched special troops to search for the attacker in Cetinje, some 30 km northwest of the capital, Podgorica. A statement said the man opened fire in a bar and fled the scene armed. Police identified him only by his initials A.M. and said he was 45 years old.

President Jakov Milatovic said he was “shocked and stunned” by the tragedy. “Instead of holiday joy ... we have been gripped by sadness over the loss of innocent lives,” Milatovic said on the social media platform X.

 New Orleans rang in the new year with a tragedy as a man drove a pickup truck into crowds of revellers early Wednesday, killing 15 and injuring dozens more in a horrifying attack near the iconic Bourbon Street.Authorities are now investigating potential ties between the suspect, a 42-year-old Army veteran from Texas, and the Islamic State terrorist group.