THE HEADLINES :
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Lord Buddha in New Delhi.
- Prime Minister says, sacred relics of Buddha are not merely artefacts, but part of our revered heritage.
- Fourteen maoists killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
- Election Commission orders automatic inclusion of Birhor, Toto, and Sabar tribes in West Bengal voters’ list.
- Venezuela declares national emergency amid reported attacks by the United States.
- BCCI asks Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad ahead of IPL 2026.
- And, IMD issues red alert for dense fog conditions over Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh till 9th of this month.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that wisdom and path shown by Bhagwan Buddha belong to all of humanity and his sacred relics are not merely artefacts but part of country’s revered heritage. He said, these relics are inseparable part of its civilisation. Mr. Modi today inaugurated the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Bhagwan Buddha, titled, The Light and the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi. He also unveiled the catalogue of this Exposition.
The Prime Minister said, after a long wait, country’s heritage has returned. He said, from today, the people of the country will be able to have the sacred darshan of these holy relics of Lord Buddha and receive his divine blessings. Mr Modi emphasised that India is not only the custodian of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, but also a living carrier of that timeless tradition.
Speaking about Buddhist heritage, the Prime Minister said, India has made continuous efforts to contribute to the development of Buddhist heritage sites across the world. He said, Buddhist sites are being modernised today and new facilities are being built for the pilgrims.
Discovered in 1898, the Piprahwa relics hold a central place in the archaeological study of early Buddhism. These are among the earliest and most historically significant relic deposits directly connected to Bhagwan Buddha. Archaeological evidence associates the Piprahwa site with ancient Kapilavastu, widely identified as the place where Bhagwan Buddha spent his early life prior to renunciation. The Exposition brings together, for the first time, the Piprahwa relics repatriated after more than a century from Piprahwa that are preserved in the collections of the National Museum, New Delhi, and the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, this historic event marks the reunification of the Piprahwa gem relics of Lord Buddha, repatriated after 127 years.
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In Chhattisgarh, fourteen Maoists have been killed in two separate encounters with security forces in the Bastar division today. More details from our Raipur correspondent:
“The year 2026 has brought a major success for security forces on the anti-Naxal front in Chhattisgarh. Fourteen Maoists have been killed in two separate encounters in Bijapur and Sukma districts of the Bastar division. One of the encounters took place in the Konta area of Sukma district, in which twelve Maoists were killed. The second encounter occurred in the Basaguda area of Bijapur district, where two Maoists were neutralised. Security forces have recovered the bodies of all the slain Maoists from the encounter sites. Besides, an AK-47 rifle, an SLR rifle and other weapons have also been recovered from the spot. Vikalp Shukla, Akashvani News, Raipur.”
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The Election Commission of India has decided that the voters from three aboriginal tribes or primitive tribes will be automatically enlisted in the final voters’ list of West Bengal. The voters from these three communities will not be required to furnish any document for that purpose.
According to the official sources of Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, these aboriginal tribes or primitive tribes are Birhor, Toto, and Sabar. Following the Commission’s instruction, the District Magistrates, as well as the District Electoral Officers, have asked the Block Development Officers to provide details of the voters from these three aboriginal tribes in their respective areas.
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Vice President CP Radhakrishnan today visited the Golden Temple at Vellore on the occasion of the 50th birthday of the head priest Shakthi Amma. In his address today, the Vice President said, this temple is very special and is one among the two golden temples in the country. He said, this campus is not only a place of worship but also a place for serving the people. He appreciated the temple administration for taking up social welfare schemes to the benefit of the society at large. The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L Murugan and other leaders. Security around the Vellore city was tightened due to the Vice President’s visit.
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Home Minister Amit Shah today chaired a Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The meeting focused on issues regarding national security, disaster management, cyber security and regional infrastructure.
The Home Minister stressed on pronged strategy involving convergence, coordination, communication, and capacity to combat cyber crime. A separate session on the strategic importance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was also held.
In the afternoon, Mr Shah will inaugurate an exhibition on Naveen Nyaya Sanhita at the ITF Ground in Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly Port Blair. Later, he will also lay the foundation stones for various projects at the Netaji Stadium.
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A group of women progressive farmers formally opened the second Udyan Utsav at the main lawn of Rashtrapati Nilayam at Bollarum, Hyderabad this morning. The Udyan Utsav is being held as part of the efforts being made by Rashtrapati Bhavan to promote public engagement and environmental awareness.
Organised by Rashtrapati Nilayam with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management, the Udyan Utsav 2026 featured around 50 thematic stalls with around 120 exhibitors. Udyan Utsav will be open to the public free of cost from 10 AM to 8 PM daily till 11th of this month at the main lawn of Rashtrapati Nilayam. Visitors may book their entry online through the Rashtrapati Bhavan website or at physical kiosks set up at the Visitor Facilitation Centre.
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Information and Broadcasting Ministry has announced the winners of four creative challenges under the Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav campaign. The challenges were organised in collaboration with MyGov platform. Indrajeet Subodh Mashankar has got the first prize in the Category of Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav – Instagram Reel Contest, while Manthan Rohit received the first prize in Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav – YouTube Shorts Challenge category. Besides, Sushovan Manna won the first prize in Short AV Challenge – Story of New India category while Krishna Gupta bagged the first prize in the category of Badalta Bharat Mera Anubhav – Blog Writing Contest.
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Nine fishermen from Mayiladuthurai were arrested by Sri Lankan Navy at Kodiakkarai today. The fishermen took to the sea yesterday in two fiber boats and stayed at sea near Kodiakkarai when the Sri Lankan Navy arrested them for trespassing into international waters. Two fiber boats were also seized by them.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Kolkata Knight Riders to release the Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad ahead of the IPL’s 2026 edition. KKR had acquired the services of the 30-year-old left-armer for 9.20 crore rupees from a base price of two crore rupees after an intense bidding war with Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the players’ auction last month. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has said that KKR will be allowed to name a replacement player if required.
The pressure had been mounting on the KKR over Rahman’s participation in the upcoming IPL tournament after recent killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh. Rahman has featured in eight IPL editions since 2016, missing the tournament only in 2019 and 2020.
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Venezuela has declared national emergency amid reported attacks by the United States. Venezuela’s government has accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states after at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in the capital, Caracas.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Authority has banned US commercial flights in Venezuela airspace over ongoing military activity ahead of explosions in Caracas. Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas. People in various neighbourhoods rushed to the streets.
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro had ordered all national defence plans to be implemented and declared a state of external disturbance. The Venezuela’s government called on its supporters to take to the streets.
This comes as the US military has been targeting, in recent days, alleged drug-smuggling boats.
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Iran has warned that any US interference in its internal affairs would constitute a “red line”, following the US President Donald Trump’s recent threat to intervene if the Iranian government used lethal force against protesters. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Trump’s threat reckless and dangerous and stated that Iran’s military is prepared to respond to any violation of sovereignty.
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The United Nations has said that more than one million people urgently need shelter assistance in Gaza. However, the office of the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General has said, humanitarian assistance in Gaza continue to help the most vulnerable families as harsh winter conditions leave hundreds of thousands of Palestinians struggling in makeshift tents damaged by rain, wind and seawater waves.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red colour warning for dense fog conditions over Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh till 9th of this month. The weather agency has also predicted cold wave conditions at isolated places of Himachal Pradesh and ground frost conditions over Uttarakhand. The IMD said that cold day conditions will prevail at isolated pockets over Bihar till Monday.
Several flights and trains experienced disruptions due to dense fog conditions in the National Capital and NCR region today.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Lord Buddha in New Delhi.
- Prime Minister says, sacred relics of Buddha are not merely artefacts, but part of our revered heritage.
- Fourteen maoists killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh.
- Election Commission orders automatic inclusion of Birhor, Toto, and Sabar tribes in West Bengal voters’ list.
- Venezuela declares national emergency amid reported attacks by the United States.
- BCCI asks Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from its squad ahead of IPL 2026.
- And, IMD issues red alert for dense fog conditions over Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh till 9th of this month.
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