THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Sonamarg Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir; the Project to boost tourism and all weather connectivity in the region.
- Army Chief says situation is sensitive but stable on the northern borders; Affirms forces are well poised to deal with any adverse situation.
- Lakhs of devotees take holy dip at various ghats of Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj as Maha Kumbh begins.
- Cold wave grips North-West India; Minimum temperature likely to plunge by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius; Dense fog affects Delhi-bound train services.
- And, Kho Kho World Cup 2025 to begin at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi this evening.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated and dedicated the prestigious Sonamarg Tunnel to the nation, in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Dr Jitendra Singh, J&K Lt Gov Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Senior UT Ministers, Parliament Members, Legislators and senior Tunnel Project Officials are present on the occasion. Now we take you live to the Prime Minister’s address:
Earlier, the Prime Minister inspected the tunnel and was briefed about the project. The Sonamarg Tunnel will significantly reduce the travel time to just 20-25 minutes between Gagangeer and Sonamarg.
The tunnel is equipped with cutting-edge technologies that provide real-time updates and seamless connectivity for users. This futuristic infrastructure will enhance the travel experience and also set a new standard for road connectivity in the region. The work on the Tunnel project began in May 2015 and was completed last year.
The opening of the tunnel is a major step towards making the Ladakh region accessible by road throughout the year. It will increase socio economic development throughout the region including Kargil and Leh districts.
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Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said the situation is sensitive but stable on the northern borders. He affirmed that the forces are well poised to deal with any adverse situation, and building a robust infrastructure at the border areas is the key priority of the Indian Army.
Briefing during the Annual Press Conference of the Indian Army in New Delhi today, General Dwivedi said the situation is under control in the Jammu and Kashmir region, and it is moving forward from terrorism to tourism.
On the eastern Ladakh front, General Dwivedi said that contentious issues at Demchok and Depsang have been resolved, allowing patrolling and traditional grazing activities in the areas.
On the current situation in Manipur, the Army Chief said that synergized efforts of security forces and proactive government initiatives have brought the situation under control.
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Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has rejected Aam Aadmi Party Convener Arvind Kejriwal’s allegation that during a recent Delhi Development Authority (DDA) meeting the land use of Shakur Basti area has been changed. He termed the allegation as baseless saying the DDA has neither changed the Land Use of this colony nor has given any eviction or demolition notice.
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As the nomination process is picking up pace for the Delhi assembly polls, prominent leaders have started hitting the ground to woo the voters. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is going to address an election rally in Silampur area this evening. Leaders of the Delhi BJP unit and top leaders of Aam Aadmi Party are also campaigning in different areas to garner support in favour of their candidates. Senior AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi will file her nomination paper today. More from our Correspondent.
” With back to back press conferences on a daily basis all three prominent parties BJP, Aam Aadmi Party and Congress in Delhi are leaving no stone unturned to set their agendas for the assembly polls through media. Meanwhile, Social media platforms have also turned into political battlegrounds as ruling Aam Aadmi Party and opposition BJP are releasing memes, posters and satires to target each other. Through such creative campaign on Social Media, the BJP is questioning AAP over the issues of alleged lavish spending on the Chief Minister’s Residence by the then CM Arvind Kejriwal, alleged insult of Purvanchalis by AAP and on the alleged liquor scam. It is also accusing the ruling party in Delhi of failing to fulfill promises related to health, school, roads and drinking water in the city. On the other hand, AAP is questioning BJP on the CM face in the poll through its different creative videos and posters. The party is also accusing BJP leaders of using foul language and registering fake voters. With Diwaker, Sumit Saha, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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The Delhi High Court has questioned the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government today for the delay in the submission of a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the liquor scam to the Assembly Speaker. The scam led to the arrests of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Manish Sisodia.
The Court was hearing a petition filed by the BJP on the delay in presenting the CAG report to the Delhi Assembly. The court also addressed a plea by BJP MLAs, including Vijender Gupta, requesting a special session of the Delhi Assembly.
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In our bilingual live phone-in programme “Public Speak” tonight, we will bring you a discussion on “TB-Mukt Bharat ” with Prof. Urvashi B. Singh, DDG (TB), Ministry of health and family welfare.
To participate, you can dial the telephone numbers 011 – 23421050 and 011 – 23314444, 9:30 PM onwards tonight.
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Now News from the Mahakumbh:-
Over six million devotees and pilgrims have taken the holy dip till now as world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering Mahakumbh began today in Prayagraj with Amrit Snan on Paush Poornima. Devotees, Pilgrims and Visitors are taking a holy dip in various ghats of Triveni Sangam, the confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna and mythical river Saraswati. The grand event will continue till Mahashivaratri on the 26th February. A rare celestial alignment that occurs only once in 144 years adds significance to the Maha Kumbh this year. A report:
“An estimated 15 million devotees are expected to take a holy dip at the Sangam today. Besides the ritual bath, millions of devotees are observing the ancient tradition of Kalpvas at the Sangam. They will observe Kalpvas for one month till Magh Poornima, strictly adhering to the prescribed rituals. Special arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and spiritual experience for devotees during this sacred observance. Government has left no stone unturned to ensure the event is safe, secure, and memorable. A seven layer security is in place for Mahakumbh. DGP of Uttar Pradesh Prashant Kumar said, Mahakumbh has started today and arrangements have been made for safety of people attending the grand event.
Today, flowers petals will be showered on devotees from helicopters. Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News, Prayagraj.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wished everyone on the commencement of Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj.
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The festival of harvest, Lohri is being celebrated today in North India especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Chandigarh. Lohri marks the end of the long nights of winter and welcomes the longer days of summer, as the Sun begins its journey to the Northern Hemisphere. Lohri is celebrated very enthusiastically and zestfully, accompanied by many customs and traditions. President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar today greeted all Indian people living in the country and abroad on the auspicious occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, and Magh Bihu.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Mission Mausam tomorrow with the goal of making the country a weather-ready and climate-smart nation. The Mission aims to achieve this by developing cutting-edge weather surveillance technologies and systems, implementing high-resolution atmospheric observations, next-generation radars and satellites, and high-performance computers.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cold day conditions in isolated pockets of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and west Rajasthan today. Northern, eastern, and northeastern states of the country can experience dense fog in the morning and night hours during the next 2 days. IMD said Northwest, Central, and West India are likely to witness a gradual fall in the minimum temperatures by 2-3 degrees Celsius during the next 2 days.
Meanwhile, the movement of several trains is affected as dense fog has engulfed the Delhi-NCR region, causing low visibility. According to Indian Railways, as many as 12 Delhi-bound trains have been delayed by up to two hours.
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India’s High Commissioner to Dhaka Pranay Verma and Bangladesh foreign secretary Md. Jashim Uddin today discussed New Delhi’s commitment to ensuring a crime-free border and effectively address the challenges of smuggling, movements of criminals and trafficking. Verma said, the two countries have an understanding on the issue of border fencing for security and the two border guard enforcements – BSF and BGB – have been in communication in this regard.
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The Kho Kho World Cup 2025 will begin at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi today. This inaugural edition backed by the Indian Olympic Association, will feature 20 men’s and 19 women’s teams. The Kho Kho Federation of India has named a 15-member squad each for the men’s and women’s competitions. The Indian men’s team led by Pratik Waikar is in Group A with Nepal, Peru, Brazil and Bhutan while the women’s team led by Priyanka Ingle is in Group A with Iran, Malaysia and Republic of Korea.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Sonamarg Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir; the Project to boost tourism and all weather connectivity in the region.
- Army Chief says situation is sensitive but stable on the northern borders; Affirms forces are well poised to deal with any adverse situation.
- Lakhs of devotees take holy dip at various ghats of Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj as Maha Kumbh begins.
- Cold wave grips North-West India; Minimum temperature likely to plunge by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius; Dense fog affects Delhi-bound train services.
- And, Kho Kho World Cup 2025 to begin at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi this evening.
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