THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate debate on 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha tomorrow.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates 125 border infrastructure projects including Shyok Tunnel.
- Goa government orders magisterial inquiry into Arpora fire incident which claimed 25 lives.
- IMD forecasts cold wave conditions in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha till tomorrow.
- In Men’s hockey, India to take on South Africa in first game of three-match series in Cape Town this evening.
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A special discussion on the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram will begin in Lok Sabha tomorrow. According to the official sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will initiate the debate in the Lok Sabha.
Briefing the media earlier last week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the full day discussion will start at 12 noon. He added, it was decided in the all party meeting chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that the discussion on Vande Mataram will be conducted on 8th and the debate on Electoral Reforms on 9th December.
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Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh today inaugurated 125 strategically significant infrastructure projects including Shyok Tunnel, across 7 States and 2 Union Territories constructed by The Border Roads Organisation (BRO). During the Inaugural Ceremony, the Defence Minister said that these infrastructure projects are dedicated to remember the supreme sacrifices of Indian Army and BRO who laid down their lives for the nation. Rajnath Singh said that Shyok Tunnel in Leh will be game Changer in Ladakh offering all weather Connectivity and mobility during harsh winters. Commending BRO, the Minister said that The Shyok Tunnel will lead to the development of the region, Promote Tourism and economic activities and will help in the logistics.
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The Goa government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Arpora fire incident which claimed 25 lives. A major fire at a club in Arpora, Bardez Taluka, also injured several others, prompting immediate action from the local authorities. The cause of the fire is yet to be known. Control rooms have been set up for swift and efficient monitoring of the incident. More details from our correspondent:
“Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after visiting the site has ordered a magisterial inquiry. He expressed his deepest condolences to the victims’ families, adding that all efforts are being made to ensure accountability and to bring justice to those affected. He further informed that the injured victims are currently stable and are being provided with the best possible medical care. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply saddening” and extended condolences. PM also announced that an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Arpora, Goa. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.This is Mahesh Chopade/Akashvani News/ Panaji.
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The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued show-cause notices to IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers and Accountable Manager Isidro Porqueras seeking explanations within 24 hours on the massive flight disruptions that caused severe inconvenience and distress to passengers. The regulator attributed the chaos to the airline’s failure to make adequate arrangements for the revised requirements under the approved Flight Duty Time Limit (FDTL) norms. The notice said, large-scale operational failures indicated significant lapses in planning, oversight and resource management.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu along with senior civil aviation ministry officials held a meeting with Elbers to review the situation and address the issues.
Earlier the government directed IndiGo to clear all pending passenger refunds for cancelled or disrupted flights without delay. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has mandated that refunds for all such flights be completed by 8 PM today.
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Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has launched Rajat Rashmiyan, formally marking the commencement of the silver jubilee celebrations of Brahma Kumaris’ Om Shanti Retreat Centre (ORC) in Gurugram, Haryana. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Radhakrishnan said that the Brahma Kumaris have unlocked profound truths about the mind, the universe and the self through the power of meditation. He added that their sustained efforts have brought peace, purity and spiritual awakening to countless seekers in India and across the world.
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Indian Astronaut and Indian Airforce Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has said that Artificial Intelligence has become integral to every sphere of progress. Addressing the Delhi AI Grind ‘India’s first City Centric AI Innovation Engine in New Delhi today, Mr Shukla highlighted that AI is engraved in each and every aspect and it is a tool to accomplish things and is being utilized extensively. He added, these are the areas where we need to focus, and to accomplish the dream of Viksit Bharat 2047.
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The India Meteorological Department has forecast cold wave conditions over Punjab, Haryana, West Madhya Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha till tomorrow. The Met Department has predicted dense fog conditions will prevail over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh for the next two days. The weather agency has also forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi-NCR has been registered in the Very Poor category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the region was recorded at 302 as of 1 PM today.
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The work of revising voter lists under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign is progressing rapidly in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said that 100 percent work of SIR has been completed at more than 91 thousand booths of the State. He has directed the officials to fully cooperate with BLOs to complete the SIR work. He instructed the officials to continuously monitor each phase of the Special Intensive Revision program and ensure 100% compliance with the guidelines issued by the Election Commission. A report:
“Ambedkar Nagar District Election Officer Anupam Shukla said that the work of special intensive revision has been completed almost 100 percent in the district. In Amroha, almost 100 percent of the SIR work has been completed and in Fatehpur district, eighty-nine percent of the verification work has been completed under the SIR process.The voter list revision work is also progressing rapidly in Gorakhpur. District Magistrate Deepak Meena stated that this process is crucial for electoral transparency and the protection of voter rights. He appealed to every citizen to ensure their full participation. Prem Chandra Gupta, Akashvani News, Gorakhpur.”
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In Madhya Pradesh the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of the electoral roll being carried out by the Election Commission is gaining momentum. Under this drive, enumeration forms have been delivered to a large number of voters across the state and the country. The process is progressing at a fast pace in Madhya Pradesh. More details from our correspondent:
“As per the directions of the Election Commission, the work of SIR is moving rapidly in Madhya Pradesh. In more than 12 districts of the state, digitalization of enumeration forms has been completed 100 percent. In Damoh district, the intensive revision of the electoral roll is almost complete. To encourage public participation, noted cinema actor Ashish Pendse, in a special message, said that he has submitted his SIR form and appealed to citizens to mandatorily fill in their details in the enumeration form. Meanwhile, on the occasion of, World Disability Day, Madhya Pradesh has taken a unique initiative. Under SIR-2026, a special video has been released in sign language to help locate names in the 2003 electoral roll. The initiative aims to ensure equal participation of persons with disabilities and to further strengthen the democratic process. Vipin Kumar Mishra, AIR News, Bhopal.”
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In the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, the work of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll has almost been completed. As per District Magistrate cum District Election Office Manish Mishra office Enumeration Forms distribution, collection and digitisation on maximum booths have been completed, and EROs felicitated BLOs for completing the work before deadline. More from our correspondent:
“As per DM office data out of 12,92, 857 registered voters , more than 11 lacs 46 voters have submitted filled EF forms and uploaded them by BLOs. One lac forty-six thousand EF forms have not yet been submitted. Though the last date of submission has extended until 11th December 2025.
Ashok Chaurasia/ Akashvani News/ Kurseong.
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On Armed Forces Flag Day, today Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the nation expresses its deepest gratitude to the brave men and women who protect the country with unwavering courage. In a social media post, Mr Modi said that their discipline, resolve, and indomitable spirit safeguard the people and strengthen the nation. He added that their commitment stands as a powerful example of duty, discipline, and devotion. On this occasion, Mr Modi also encouraged everyone to contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund.
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The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered large consignments of heroin, a pistol with ammunition along the Punjab border and have shot down three drones as well during various operations in Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur, in the last 24 hours. Hearing a drone movement last night on Amritsar border, the troops launched an extensive search operation, resulting in the recovery of 12 packets of heroin weighing over 6.50 kilogram from a farming field adjacent to the border. A pistol with live cartridges has also been found. Earlier, using technical counter measures deployed on border, the BSF troops Neutralized 3 drones entering Punjab border from Pakistan with consignments of narcotics.
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In men’s hockey, India will take on South Africa in the first game of the three-match series tour at Stellenbosch, Cape Town today. The match will begin at 8:30 pm Indian Standard Time. The South Africa tour in the Western Cape scheduled for 7th, 9th and 10th of this month marks the Indian team’s final international window of the calendar year. India are currently ranked 7th in the world, while South Africa are positioned at 12th. India arrive in Cape Town as Asia Cup 2025 champions, having reclaimed continental supremacy with a commanding 4-1 win over Korea in the final.
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In Badminton, India are assured of a gold medal at the Guwahati Masters 2025 after Sanskar Saraswat and Mithun Manjunath stormed into the men’s singles final with straight-games victories. Sanskar edged Indonesia’s Dendi Triansyah 21-19, 21-19, while Mithun defeated compatriot Tushar Suveer 22-20, 21-8 to set up an all-Indian title clash today.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate debate on 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram in Lok Sabha tomorrow.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates 125 border infrastructure projects including Shyok Tunnel.
- Goa government orders magisterial inquiry into Arpora fire incident which claimed 25 lives.
- IMD forecasts cold wave conditions in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha till tomorrow.
- In Men’s hockey, India to take on South Africa in first game of three-match series in Cape Town this evening.
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