THE HEADLINES :-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet NCC cadets, tableaux artists and tribal guests of Republic Day Celebrations 2025 in New Delhi today.
- India to launch human under water submersible this year, says Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
- Madhya Pradesh government to ban sale of liquor at 17 religious sites in the state.
- 3-day spectacular drone show to begin today at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
- US President Donald Trump tells business leaders to manufacture in US or face tariffs.
- And, Odisha Warriors become first team to qualify for final of Women's Hockey India League.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, Youth Exchange programme cadets, tableaux artists, and tribal guests of Republic Day Celebrations 2025 in New Delhi today. A programme has been organised at the Prime Minister's residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, where Mr Modi will interact with the tableau artists who work behind the curtains as well as the NCC cadets who will participate in the Republic Day Parade this year.
Republic Day Parade 2025 will be a unique blend of India’s cultural diversity and military prowess, with special focus on 75 years of enactment of the constitution and Jan Bhagidari. This year, 31 tableaux from various States, Union Territories, and Central Government Ministries/Departments will participate, showcasing the theme “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas.”
Republic Day Parade will be heralded by 300 Cultural artists playing ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’ musical instruments of different parts of the country.
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President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto has arrived in New Delhi last night ahead of the 76th Republic Day celebrations. President Prabowo is the Chief Guest of this year's Republic Day celebrations. Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita received him at the airport in the national capital. During his four day visit, Indonesian President will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will also have meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and attend the ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is President Prabowo’s first visit to India after assuming office in October last year
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India is gearing up to deploy its first human-operated underwater submersible as part of the Deep Ocean Mission. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the submersible, designed for a depth of up to 500 meters, is expected to launch this year, with plans to extend its reach to 6,000 meters by next year. The announcement was made during the second meeting of the Mission Steering Committee at Prithvi Bhawan, New Delhi.
The Deep Ocean Mission aims to explore underwater resources, improve knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems, and advance India’s blue economy.
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Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the corporate office of the National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation in Mumbai today. On this occasion, several key initiatives in the cooperative sector will be launched to further strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Sehkar Se Samriddhi”.
Mr Shah will also release the annual calendar of activities for the International Year of Cooperatives 2025, launch training programs for 10,000 newly formed multipurpose cooperative societies across the country, and introduce a ranking framework for primary cooperative societies.
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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said that his government will ban the sale of liquor at 17 religious places in the state. Addressing a function in Narsinghpur district yesterday, he said, liquor will be banned wherever Lord Krishna and Lord Ram have set their foot in Madhya Pradesh. Last year, Chief Minister had announced that the state government will develop the places associated with Lord Ram and Lord Krishna in the state as pilgrimage sites.
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Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will visit Bihar today to attend a function at Samastipur in Bihar on the occasion of the 101st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur. A Sarvdharm Prarthana Sabha has been organised on the occasion
"On the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur the Vice President will deliver a memorial lecture at Gokhul Phuleswari College in Samastipur. Union Minister of state for Agriculture and son of Karpoori thakur Ramnath Thakur said a special exhibition has been also organised at the venue to demonstrate the simple lifestyle of former Chief Minister. Popularly known as Jan Nayak, Karpoori Thakur was born on 24 January 1924 in Pitaunjhia and served as Chief Minister of Bihar for two terms in 1970’s. On the 100th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister the NDA government had conferred him the highest civilian award of the nation Bharat Ratna posthumously. Dharmendra Kumar Rai, Akashvani News, Samastipur."
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The 70 member Delhi assembly will go to polls on 5th of next month. Akashvani News brings you a special series in view of Delhi assembly elections. Today we will listen to a report on Gandhi Nagar constituency.
"The Gandhi Nagar seat is set to witness a tough contest in the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. This seat is one of the eight constituencies where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was defeated by the BJP in the last elections. The BJP has fielded former Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely against AAP's Naveen Choudhary and Congress' Kamal Arora. Making the contest more competitive.
The BJP is strategizing to secure a hattrick victory, while both Congress and AAP are working hard to claim victory in Gandhi Nagar. It remains to be seen who will emerge as the winner in this closely contested seat. Saklen Akhtar for Akashvani News, Delhi."
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News Maha Kumbh :-
A 3-day spectacular drone show will begin today at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. Devotees will witness a special drone show, where the heritage of Sanatan tradition will be showcased through modern technology. The main attraction of this grand drone show will be the spiritual story of Maha Kumbh, in which Indian traditions will be presented in a unique way. The show, featuring 2,500 ‘Made in India' drones, will be held over three days, with each day showcasing a unique theme.
Devotees and pilgrims are reaching Prayagraj everyday in large numbers to attend the Mahakumbh 2025. So far over 10 crore 21 lakh devotees have taken a holy dip at Triveni Sangam during the ongoing Mahakumbh. The 45 day Mahakumbh which began on 13th of this month will continue till 26 of February.
"This edition of Maha Kumbh sets a benchmark in event management and global cultural exchange. From the sacred Amrit Snans to the vibrant Akhara processions and from digital innovations to large-scale sustainability initiatives, Mahakumbh 2025 represents a harmonious fusion of the past and the future. This time around 45 crore devotees and pilgrims are expected to attend the grand event. Beyond its religious significance, the Mahakumbh offers a platform to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and economic prosperity on the global stage. With Anand Kumar's report from Prayagraj, this is Manik Sharma for Akashvani News."
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US President Donald Trump has offered business leaders low taxes if they manufacture their products in the United States. Addressing the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum through video conferencing, Mr Trump also threatened the businesses with tariffs if they don't manufacture in US.
US President also called upon NATO nations to increase their defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, emphasizing that the United States has been shouldering an unfair burden in global defense spending, particularly in the Ukraine war.
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SPORTS :-
Odisha Warriors have become the first team to qualify for the final of the inaugural edition of Women's Hockey India League.
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The inaugural edition of World Pickleball League (WPBL) will kick off today at the CCI in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
"The 10-day long franchise-based Pickleball league will feature a total of six teams. The opening match of the league will be played between Mumbai Pickle Power and Pune United, showing a clash of Maharashtrian derby, followed by another match between Bengaluru Jawans and Chennai Superchamps.
Moving on to Tata Steel Chess Tournament, where Round 6 will begin today at the Wijk aan Zee in Netherlands. Indian Chess stars including Arjun Erigaisi, D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa will be in action. Currently India grabs three spots in top 5 standings, with R Praggnanandhaa sealing the top spot.
Next we have from Indian Super League (ISL) Football, where Hyderabad FC defeated Jamshedpur FC by 3-2 on their home ground last night. With this, Hyderabad registered their first home win of the season. Today, East Bengal FC will host Kerala Blasters FC in Kolkata this evening at 07:30 PM.
Moving on to the world of Cricket, in the second T20I match between India and England will be played tomorrow at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Suryakumar Yadav led Indian side are leading the 5 match series 1-nil. CHIRAG JHA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI."
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TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:-
- "Foreign Secretary set to visit Beijing amid thaw in ties", headlines Hindustan Times.
- People above the age of 85 and those with disabilities who have opted to vote from home in the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections will be able to cast their votes through postal ballots from today, reports The Times of India.
- Amidst dwindling numbers of Chinar trees, a symbol of Kashmir's national heritage, the government has started geo-tagging them, in a bid to preserve them, writes The Tribune.
- After an entrepreneur shared his findings on differential pricing by cab aggregators, across different devices and battery levels, the Consumer Protection Authority has issued notices to Uber, Ola and Apple Inc., reports The Pioneer.
- And finally, Hindustan Times quotes a new study reveals that the younger the age at which a person gets a smartphone, the poorer their mental health and well-being.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN :-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet NCC cadets, tableaux artists and tribal guests of Republic Day Celebrations 2025 in New Delhi today.
- India to launch human under water submersible this year, says Union Minister Jitendra Singh.
- Madhya Pradesh government to ban sale of liquor at 17 religious sites in the state.
- 3-day spectacular drone show to begin today at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
- US President Donald Trump tells business leaders to manufacture in US or face tariffs Odisha Warriors become first team to qualify for final of Women's Hockey India League.
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