THE HEADLINES::
- Russian President Vladimir Putin to arrive in New Delhi today on a two day visit to India for India-Russia Annual Summit.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart to co-chair India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation in New Delhi.
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar assumes Chairship of International IDEA for 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Women and Child Development Ministry to lunch 100-day ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign today.
- First delegation of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025 to visit Ayodhya today.
- In cricket, South Africa beat India by four wickets in high-scoring second ODI to level the series 1-1 in Raipur.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi today on a state visit to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. During the two day visit, President Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow. Both leaders will exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. A number of agreements are expected to be signed, including in areas related to trade, economy, healthcare, academics, culture and media.
President Droupadi Murmu will also receive the Russian President and host a banquet in his honour. More in this report:
”Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner for India. Development of India-Russia relations has been a key pillar of India’s foreign policy. Since the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000, India-Russia ties have acquired a qualitatively new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas. During the visit of the Russian President to India in December 2010, the Strategic Partnership was elevated to the level of “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.” Intensifying the trade and economic relations has been identified as a priority area with a target of increasing bilateral trade to 100 billion dollars by 2030. Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a record high of 68.7 billion dollars in 2024-25.Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov will co-chair the 22nd India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation ministerial meeting in New Delhi today. Defence Ministry in a statement said the two leaders will review the entire range of multi-faceted relations between the two countries in the field of defence during the meeting. They will also exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest.
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Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has assumed the chairship of the council of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) for 2026. India has been elected as the new chair of the council of member states of International IDEA for 2026. India is one of the 14 founding member states of the organisation. Mr Kumar assumed the chairship in Stockholm, Sweden. In his acceptance speech, CEC Kumar highlighted the scale of India’s democratic exercise, noting the country has over 900 million electors across 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The CEC said, India aims to share not only the learnings of the world’s largest democracy, but also the democratic values and principles deeply rooted in its civilisational heritage.
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Union Women and Child Development Ministry will formally launch a 100-day intensive awareness campaign for a Child Marriage Free Bharat today, marking one year of Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat initiative. The event will take place at Vigyan Bhawan in the presence of Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi and Minister of State Savitri Thakur. Through this campaign, Ministry of Women and Child Development will call upon citizens, institutions, and community leaders across the nation to join the movement and reaffirm India’s commitment to build a Child Marriage Free Bharat.
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In Gujarat, above 82 percent of the returned enumeration forms have been digitized as part of the the Special Intensive Revision of the voters list. Chief Electoral Officer Harit Shukla yesterday held a meeting with representatives of all recognized political parties, including the BJP, INC, AAP, and BSP in Gandhinagar, and reviewed the progress of the ongoing SIR.
The campaign continues until December 11th, with the draft electoral roll scheduled for publication on December 16th. We have a report:
“The digitization of the returned enumeration forms is currently going on in full swing in Gujarat. Dang district is leading in the state in this crucial process with 94 per cent completion rate, while six Assembly Constituencies have already achieved 100% digitization. The data revealed so far highlights the success of the cleanup effort, having identified over 16.61 lakh deceased voters, more than 26 lakh permanently migrated voters, and over 3 lakh repeat voters. Aparna Khunt, Akashvani News, Ahmedabad.”
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After visiting various important places of Kashi including Hanuman Ghat, BHU and Sarnath, the first delegation of Kashi Tamil Sangamam will visit Ayodhya today. Our correspondent report that elaborate arrangements have been made to welcome the delegates.
“All delegations from Tamil Nadu will visit Ayodhya on regular basis. The dates for the arrival of guests have been set for December 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. Different groups are scheduled to arrive in Ayodhya each day, and magistrates, police, and officials have been deployed to welcome them. Guests will be taken to Ayodhya’s major temples-Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Hanumangarhi, and other important sites for darshan and puja. Cultural programs will also be organized in Shri Ram Auditorium, in which the tradition, music and spirituality of Ayodhya will be showcased. SUSHIL CHANDRA TIWARI, AKASHVANI NEWS, LUCKNOW.”
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As Rann Utsav is going on at White Rann, Dhordo-Kutch, Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel is visiting today to witness the breathtaking beauty of the full moon over the White Rann. The Rann Utsav, showcasing Kutch’s rich culture, traditions, and hospitality, has attracted tourists from across the globe. Our correspondent has more in this report:
“This year, the White Rann opened for tourists from November 23. Since today marks the first full moon of the current season, a large number of visitors are arriving in Dhordo to experience the spectacular beauty of the moonlit Rann. The border district of Kutch has carved a distinct identity for itself in the world of tourism. Recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as one of the “Best Tourism Villages,” Dhordo’s White Rann has become extremely popular among national and international tourists due to the four-month-long Rann Utsav held here every year. Under the open sky, the moonlight spreading across the white desert and the mesmerizing views of sunrise and sunset, creates an unforgettable experience for visitors. Ashraf Nathvani, Akashvani News, Bhuj.”
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The death toll in cyclone hit Sri Lanka has risen to 479 with 350 still remaining missing, while the island braces for adverse weather conditions forecast for coming days. Sri Lanka has been grappling with widespread flooding, landslides and infrastructure collapse triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, leaving several districts isolated and severely straining the country’s disaster-response capacity. India has significantly expanded its humanitarian aid under Operation Sagar Bandhu, deploying air, sea, and ground assets to support relief efforts.
“Under Operation Sagar Bandhu, India has delivered a vital lifeline to cyclone-hit Sri Lanka. Days after Cyclone Ditwah tore through Sri Lanka, leaving behind a trail of destruction including roads, bridges, electricity lines, and railway lines, the local authorities now look at restoring connectivity. An Indian Air Force Aircraft C17 Globemaster aircraft delivered a Bailey bridge and 500 Water Purification kits last night. The bridge is pre-fabricated, quick-deploy structure that will help restore road connectivity in areas cut off in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah. Indian assistance is continuing with ongoing airlifts of relief material, evacuations, and medical aid across the island. AHMED MUYEEN FAROOQI, AKASHVANI NEWS, COLOMBO.”
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The Trump administration has increased vetting for H-1B visa applicants, directing US consular officers to review applicants’ resumes and social media profiles for any work connected to censorship of protected speech. An internal State Department cable says applicants involved in activities such as content moderation, fact-checking, misinformation work, or online safety could be deemed ineligible. The policy applies to all visa categories but calls for heightened scrutiny of H-1B applicants, many of whom work in tech.
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In Men’s Cricket, South Africa defeated India by 4 wickets in the second game of the three-match ODI series, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur last night. Chasing 359 runs to win, South Africa scored 362 for 6 with 4 balls to spare. Aiden Markram was the top scorer with 110 runs followed by Matthew Breetzke with 68 runs. For India, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna scalped 2 wickets each. With this win, the three match ODI series is now levelled at 1-1. The last match of the series will be played at Visakhapatnam on 6th of this month.
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India ended the FEI Asian Equestrian Championships 2025 with a record five medals yesterday in Pattaya, Thailand. Ashish Limaye won individual gold, while his teammates Shashank Singh Kataria and Shashank Kanmuri, secured team silver. In dressage, Shruti Vora claimed three silver medals one in the individual event, other in intermediate freestyle-I, and third in team alongside Divyakriti Singh and Gaurav Pundir. This was India’s first appearance at the continental championship, where a 16-member delegation represented the country.
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India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cold wave conditions to prevail over parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and north Rajasthan today. According to the IMD, Dense fog conditions will prevail during early morning hours over pockets of Assam, Meghalaya and Odisha today and over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh till tomorrow. Minimum temperatures are likely to fall by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over Central, Northeast and Eastern parts of the country during the next two to three days.
The weather agency has also forecast light to moderate rainfall over North Coastal Tamil Nadu, Kerala and, South Interior Karnataka today.
Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi-NCR continues to remain in the Poor category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, the average Air Quality Index (AQI) of the region was recorded at 300 as of 7 AM today.
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Leading Baloch human rights defender, Mir Yar Baloch, has lauded Finland’s decision to close its embassy in Pakistan, saying the move underscores grave concerns over Islamabad’s governance failures and deteriorating security environment. He made the remarks following the Finnish Foreign Ministry’s announcement on November 28 that the Embassies of Finland in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon would be closed in 2026.
The human rights activist also welcomed the Afghan Government’s decision to suspend trade and close Durand Line crossings, which he said had long been exploited by Pakistani authorities.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi today is covered by most of the dailies.”Delhi to roll out red carpet for Putin today as world watches” says The Tribune.
- “Rupee crashes to below 90 per dollar, CEA says not losing sleep” writes The Statesman.
- “Government withdraws order to install Sanchar Saathi app” states The Hindu.
- “Modi meets party brass, stirs BJP presidential poll buzz” informs The Asian Age.
- “BJP wins 7 of 12 seats, AAP 3 in MCD bypolls ” reports The Times Of India.
- The Times Of India quoting the Delhi High Court says “Fight against pollution can’t be left to government alone”.
- “Lok Sabha clears bill to raise excise on tobacco” reports The Economic Times.
- And finally, “Labour codes likely to be fully operational from April 1st” reports The Indian Express.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- Russian President Vladimir Putin to arrive in New Delhi today on a two day visit to India for India-Russia Annual Summit.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart to co-chair India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation in New Delhi.
- Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar assumes Chairship of International IDEA for 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Women and Child Development Ministry to lunch 100-day ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’ campaign today.
- First delegation of Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2025 to visit Ayodhya today.
- In cricket, South Africa beat India by four wickets in high-scoring second ODI to level the series 1-1 in Raipur.