THE HEADLINES::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet leading economists and subject matter experts at NITI Aayog in New Delhi today.
- Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia passes away in Dhaka.
- Government to roll out transformative reforms to strengthen telecom security, reduce compliance burdens and reinforce Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India, Make for the World.
- India successfully conducts maiden flight test of 120-km range Pinaka rocket at Chandipur in Odisha.
- India poised to become 26 trillion dollar economy by 2047-48, with per capita income exceeding 15,000 dollars, says Ernst & Young report.
- US President Donald Trump meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida to discuss next phase of ceasefire plan for Gaza.
- In Women’s Cricket, India to take on Sri Lanka in 5th and final T20 International in Thiruvananthapuram this evening.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with leading economists and subject matter experts at NITI Aayog today, as part of the government’s ongoing consultations ahead of key economic decisions. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also take part in the interaction, which is expected to focus on a wide range of economic issues. The meeting is likely to serve as a platform for experts to share their views and assessments on the country’s current economic situation and future priorities. Mr Modi is expected to listen to suggestions and perspectives from economists on the upcoming Union Budget. Discussions are also likely to cover areas where further reforms may be required to support growth, strengthen macroeconomic stability and address emerging challenges.
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Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia passed away at a hospital in Dhaka this morning. She was 80. This was disclosed by BNP in a social media post. BNP’s Media Cell said, Khaleda Zia died while receiving medical care at a private hospital. Khaleda Zia, a two-time prime minister, was one of the most prominent figures in Bangladesh’s politics for decades and served as BNP chairperson for many years. We have more on this from our Dhaka Correspondent:
“Doctors said she had been in an extremely critical condition and was on life support. She had been receiving treatment at the private hospital for more than a month after being admitted with severe infections affecting her heart and lungs, along with other complications. A two-time prime minister, Khaleda Zia was one of the most influential figures in Bangladesh’s political history and led the BNP for decades. Her death marks the end of an era in the country’s politics. Navalsang Parmar, Akashvani News, Dhaka”.
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Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced that Department of Telecommunications is rolling out transformative reforms to strengthen telecom security, reduce compliance burdens and reinforce Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India, Make for the World. In a social media post, the Minister highlighted that the key reforms include the extension of the Pro Tem Security Certification Scheme for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for 2 years and reduced fees for Telecom Security Testing Laboratories. Mr Scindia said these reforms are aimed at strengthening telecom security, reducing compliance burdens and enabling sustainable industry growth. He further said these transformative steps advance the country’s shared vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
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Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the maiden flight test of the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. The rocket was tested for its maximum range of 120 km, demonstrating all in-flight manoeuvres as planned.
“The Defence Ministry said that the Long Range Guided Rocket impacted the target with textbook precision. It added that all deployed range instruments tracked the flight throughout its trajectory. This rocket was designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment in association with the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, with support from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory and the Research Centre Imarat. The Long Range Guided Rocket was launched from the in-service Pinaka launcher, demonstrating its versatility and providing the capability to launch Pinaka variants of different ranges from the same launcher. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO on the achievement. He said that the successful design and development of long-range guided rockets will boost the capabilities of the Armed Forces, terming it a game changer. With Pallavi, Akhila, Akashvani News”.
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India is projected to become a 26 trillion dollar economy by 2047-48, with per capita income exceeding 15,000 dollars – nearly six times the current level – according to a report by Ernst & Young (EY). The report said several key growth enablers uniquely position India to strengthen its standing in the global economy over the next decade and beyond. India is expected to overtake Germany and Japan to become the world’s third-largest economy after China and the United States by 2030. India has already attained critical mass as the world’s fifth-largest economy, largely due to its economic liberalisation policies. The report noted that India’s growth projections remain the highest among major global economies over the coming decades.
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Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah arrived in West Bengal last evening to participate in a series of organizational meetings and programs. He was received at Dum Dum Airport by BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. During his visit, the Home Minister is scheduled to hold several high-level meetings with state party office-bearers today and tomorrow to discuss electoral strategies for the upcoming polls. His first key organizational meeting is scheduled to take place in Bidhannagar today.
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The year 2025 stands as a defining chapter in India’s development journey. It saw policies translate into progress and intent into impact. Today, in this Special Series, ‘Year of Reforms’, we bring to you India’s progress in the Cultural sector in 2025.
This year, India’s cultural resurgence moved decisively into the national mainstream, reflecting a confidence that had been building steadily over the past decade.
The year marked a defining moment in country’s spiritual landscape with the completion of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya. In a historic moment in November this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the saffron Dharma Dhwaja at the top of the temple.
This year will also be remembered as the festival of lights, Deepavali, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Similarly, the Maratha Military Landscapes of India were successfully inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List, significantly bolstering country’s standing as a global heritage power.
In the spirit of collective participation, the 150th anniversary of the National Song Vande Mataram was launched as a year-long commemoration, with more than 1 crore sixty lakh, citizens recording their renditions, transforming a historic symbol of the freedom movement into a nationwide public movement.
Meanwhile, mass participation in faith and cultural expression reached unprecedented scale in 2025. The Mahakumbh in Prayagraj witnessed the participation of over 66 crore pilgrims, surpassing global religious congregations. This year the country also celebrated and honored its foundational leaders. Commemorative events, including the release of special coins and stamps on the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was held on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. Also, celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was held, ensuring that the foundational leaders of the country remain central to the national dialogue.
Together, these developments underscored 2025 as a year when India’s civilisational confidence translated into visible, collective, and enduring expression. With Rohan and Samarth, Saklen Akhtar for Akashvani News, Delhi.
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US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Florida residence to discuss the next phase of ceasefire plan for Gaza. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Trump praised Mr Netanyahu by calling him a “wartime” Prime Minister and extended his full support to Israel. Mr Trump further said that the Hamas will be given a very short period of time to disarm to move to the second phase of his Gaza peace plan and that Israel has 100 per cent lived up to the plan.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called his meeting with the US President ‘very productive’. Addressing the press, Mr Netanyahu said that the Trump administration has achieved remarkable things in West Asia and his leadership changed the previous conception of America’s entrance to the West Asia region.
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In Women’s Cricket, India will take on Sri Lanka in the 5th and final T20 International at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala today. The match will begin at 7 PM. Harmanpreet Kaur led Women-in-Blue will look to clean sweep the series, as they are already leading the 5-match series with an unassailable lead of 4-Nil. In the last match played on Sunday, Hosts India successfully defended a massive target of 222 to clinch a 30-run victory over visitors. Earlier, in the first three matches of the series, India won comfortably by showing all-round performance.
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In Chess, India’s Arjun Erigaisi finished Day 1 of 2025 FIDE World Blitz Chess Championships in Doha, Qatar as table-topper. With 10 points in the 13 rounds played, Arjun is currently leading the Open section with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Fabiano Caruana. Arjun, who moved into first place in Round 11, enjoyed a dramatic win over Magnus Carlsen, while his only defeat came at the hands of Jorden van Foreest. By the end of Round 10, Arjun Erigaisi stood alone at the top with 8.5/10 points.
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast very dense fog conditions during morning and night hours over Haryana, Chandigarh, West Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab till tomorrow. The weather agency predicted dense fog conditions over Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, and Madhya Pradesh today. Similar conditions are expected over Delhi, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh till tomorrow.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- All papers have widely covered the latest development on Aravallis and the Unnao rape case along with major international stories related to Russia-Ukraine war.
- Hindustan Times writes, ‘Supreme Court stays Aravalli order; stresses ecological risks,’ adding ‘Apex Court calls to preserve green lungs.’ The Tribune headlines, ‘Supreme Court puts its own Aravalli redefining order on hold.’
- ‘Unnao rape case: Supreme Court stays Delhi High Court order on Sengar,’ writes The Statesman. While The Indian Express carries the story of the victim under the headline, ‘Will continue fight…our life turned into a joke, says survivor.’
- ‘Index of Industrial Production climbs to 25 -month high of 6.7 percent in November,’ informs The Hindu.
- ‘Ukraine fired drones at Putin residence says Russia,’ informs Hindustan Times.
- And finally, The Economic Times informs that Indians top the list for making spontaneous holiday plans. The paper writes, ‘Indians give new meaning to a quick getaway, for heading overseas or exploring home shores, last-minute bookings jump this year as impulse trends escalate.’
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet leading economists and subject matter experts at NITI Aayog in New Delhi today.
- Former Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia passes away in Dhaka.
- Government to roll out transformative reforms to strengthen telecom security, reduce compliance burdens and reinforce Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India, Make for the World.
- India successfully conducts maiden flight test of 120-km range Pinaka rocket at Chandipur in Odisha.
- India poised to become 26 trillion dollar economy by 2047-48, with per capita income exceeding 15,000 dollars, says Ernst & Young report.
- US President Donald Trump meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida to discuss next phase of ceasefire plan for Gaza.
- In Women’s Cricket, India to take on Sri Lanka in 5th and final T20 International in Thiruvananthapuram this evening.
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