THE HEADLINES :
- Winter session of Parliament concludes, after passing many landmark legislations including Viksit Bharat G RAM G Bill.
- President Droupadi Murmu emphasizes on integrity and honesty in Civil Service recruitment; Inaugurates two-day National Conference of Chairpersons of State Public Service Commissions in Hyderabad.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in closing ceremony of Second WHO Global Summit on traditional medicine; to also launch My Ayush Integrated Services Portal.
- Civil Aviation Ministry advises passengers to check updates in view of fog conditions in North India.
- And, in men’s cricket, fifth and final T20 International between India and South Africa to be played in Ahmedabad this evening.
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Both the Houses of Parliament have been adjourned sine die. With this the 19 day winter session concluded today. The Lok Sabha was first adjourned sine die and after that the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned. In his Valedictory address, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that the productivity of the house was around 111 per cent. He said a total of 15 sittings of the House took place.
In his Valedictory address Rajya Sabha Chairman, CP Radhakrishnan said that the house functioned for around 92 hours and recorded 121 per cent productivity.
He said the House held a special discussion on the 150th anniversary of the National song Vande Matram, in which 82 members participated.
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Our correspondent has filed a report on the key developments from Parliament’s Winter Session.
“The winter session of Parliament which began on 1st December concluded today. During the session, a special discussion on the 150th anniversary of the National song Vande Matram and Election reforms took place in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Besides, several important legislations were passed during the session. The Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin): Viksit Bharat – G RAM G Bill 2025 was passed, which has replaced the twenty-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005. Under the legislation, one hundred and twenty-five days of wage employment will be provided in every financial year to every rural household instead of one hundred days. Parliament also gave its nod to the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025, Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill and the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2025. Besides, the Parliament also gave its approval to the Supplementary Demands for Grants – First Batch for 2025-26, for a gross additional expenditure of one lakh 32 thousand crore rupees. Anand Kumar, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju has said the bills which were passed in the winter session of Parliament will play an important role in improving the lives of crores of people and to make India a developed nation. Briefing media after the conclusion of the winter session in New Delhi, Mr Rijiju termed the Winter Session of Parliament as very productive for the country. He said, this was for the first time that a separate discussion took place on electoral reforms. The Minister said, several people raised questions about the election process but after the debates on electoral reforms in both Houses of Parliament, everything became clear. Mr Rijiju said those who levelled accusations against the Election Commission and the electoral system were also exposed.
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President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the two-day National Conference of Chairpersons of State Public Service Commissions (PSCs) in Hyderabad.
Addressing the gathering, the President stressed on the need for Public Service Commissions to give highest priority to honesty and integrity while recruiting civil servants. She stated that the UPSC is one of the most trusted government institutions.
The president asked the UPSC and state PSCs to anticipate emerging challenges while preparing themselves giving maximum importance to credibility.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the closing ceremony of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine in New Delhi today. On the occasion, the Prime Minister will address the gathering and launch several landmark Ayush initiatives.
“During the programme, Mr Modi will release the WHO technical report on training in Yoga and the book From Roots to Global Reach: 11 Years of Transformation in AYUSH. He will release a commemorative postal stamp on Ashwagandha, symbolising the global resonance of India’s traditional medicinal heritage. He will felicitate the recipients of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution to the Promotion and Development of Yoga for the years 2021-2025.The Prime Minister will also visit the Traditional Medicine Discovery Space, an exhibition showcasing the diversity, depth, and contemporary relevance of traditional medicine knowledge systems from India and across the world. Jointly organised by the World Health Organization and Ministry of Ayush, the three-day summit is being held under the theme Restoring balance: The science and practice of health and well-being. Priya Mondal, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has concluded his visit to the three nations of Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman. The Ethiopian government is expecting a lot from the outcomes of the visit of Prime Minister Modi.
“India have been giving it’s support to Ethiopia in many sectors. Now after the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the nation, and the signing of many agreements, Ethiopian people are expecting this support to increase manifold in various sectors in the coming days. Talking to Akashwani News, Dr. Eregogie Tesefaye, Minister of Women and Social Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia said that the agreements signed during PM Modi’s visit are going to help a lot to the women of her country.
Talking to Akashwani News, Mayur Surtakant Kothari, the prominent personality of India diaspora here in Ethiopia said that Indians in Ethiopia are also very happy and feel proud after the successful visit of PM Modi.
There was tremendous enthusiasm among the people of Ethiopia during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the relations between the two nations are expected to reach new heights. SUSHIL CHANDRA TIWARI AKASHWANI NEWS, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA.”
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The Ministry of Civil Aviation today stated that due to prevailing fog conditions in parts of Northern India, airport operations may be impacted.
The Ministry advised passengers to stay updated through airlines, airports, and official platforms amid fog-related flight disruptions. It also urged travellers to allow additional time for smooth travel. The Ministry said, it is closely coordinating with the India Meteorological Department, and operational decisions are being taken based on real-time weather forecasts.
It noted that some flights are being cancelled by airlines and passengers were informed in advance to prevent unnecessary travel to airports.
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Dense fog has disrupted the movement of several trains in various parts of the country due to low visibility. According to Indian Railways, as many as 60 trains are delayed by upto five hours. Passengers are advised to check the latest status of the trains before arriving at the station to board them.
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External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar today interacted with the members of the multi-party Parliamentary delegations who recently represented India at the UN General Assembly. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar lauded the members for putting across India’s stance on the world stage. Dr Jaishankar also listened to their experiences and appreciated their feedback.
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Senior Indian Information Service, IIS Officer Baqar Mirza passed away late last night in Hyderabad due to a heart attack. He was 67-year old. During his distinguished career, Mirza worked in various departments of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, including Akashvani, DD News, the Publications Division and the Press Information Bureau. He also headed the Regional News Unit of All India Radio, Hyderabad, for many years. Mirza retired in 2018 as Joint Director, DD News, Guwahati.
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The Delhi government will install air purifiers in ten thousands school classrooms in view of the deteriorating air quality in the national capital. Briefing the media today, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood said the air purifiers will be installed in the first phase as part of the government’s continued efforts to improve air quality. He added that the tender process for the project has already been initiated.
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To a Question on the discussion on Air Pollution in Delhi NCR, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, the Opposition, specially Congress created ruckus in the Lok Sabha, due to which discussion on this matter could not take place.
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In men’s cricket, the fifth and final T20 International between India and South Africa will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today. The match is scheduled to start at 7 PM.
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, currently hold a 2-1 lead and will look to seal the series against the Proteas. Wednesday’s fourth T20 at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow was abandoned due to extreme fog.
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In Badminton, India’s men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will take on Malaysian duo of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in their final group game in the BWF World Tour Finals in China this evening .
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Benchmark domestic equity indices, the Sensex and the Nifty, were trading around half a per cent up in afternoon trade today. The Sensex advanced 410 points to 84 thousand 892, while the Nifty added 142 points to 25 thousand 957, when reports last came in. On the sectoral front, Auto, Industrials, and Realty were gaining the most, while Metal and Commodities were bucking the trend.
In the broader market at the Bombay Stock Exchange, the Mid-Cap index as well as the Small-Cap index, both climbed 0.6 per cent, a short while ago.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for dense to very dense fog conditions over Uttar Pradesh and Bihar today. IMD said that Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand will experience a very cold day.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Winter session of Parliament concludes, after passing many landmark legislations including Viksit Bharat G RAM G Bill.
- President Droupadi Murmu emphasizes on integrity and honesty in Civil Service recruitment; Inaugurates two-day National Conference of Chairpersons of State Public Service Commissions in Hyderabad.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in closing ceremony of Second WHO Global Summit on traditional medicine; to also launch My Ayush Integrated Services Portal.
- Civil Aviation Ministry advises passengers to check updates in view of fog conditions in North India.
- And, in men’s cricket, fifth and final T20 International between India and South Africa to be played in Ahmedabad this evening.
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