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December 26, 2024 9:19 AM

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Morning News

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Veer Baal Diwas celebrations at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today; Prime Minister to also launch Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan to improve nutrition and overall well-being of children.

 

  • President Droupadi Murmu to confer ‘Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar’ on 17 children for their exceptional achievements.

 

  • NDA leaders discuss ways to strengthen coordination among alliance partners.

 

  • Doyen of Malayalam literature and cinema, MT Vasudevan Nair passes away in Kozhikode.

 

  • EPFO registered a net addition of 13 lakh 41 thousand members in October this year.

 

  • Cricket, Boxing Day Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia underway in  Melbourne.

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in Veer Baal Diwas, a nationwide celebration honouring children as the foundation of India’s future at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today. He will also address the gathering on the occasion.

         

In 2022, Mr Modi had announced that 26th December will be marked as Veer Baal Diwas to pay tribute to the courage of the Sahibzades, the sons of Guru Gobind Singh and their quest for justice.

         

 On the occasion, the Prime Minister will launch Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan. It aims at improving the nutritional outcomes and well-being by strengthening implementation of nutrition related services and by ensuring active community participation. Around three thousand 500 children, along with the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardees and dignitaries, will attend the event. Various initiatives will also be run across the nation to engage young minds, promote awareness about the significance of Veer Baal Diwas and foster a culture of courage and dedication to the nation. A series of online competitions, including interactive quizzes, will be organized through the MyGov and MyBharat Portals. Interesting activities like storytelling, creative writing, poster-making among others will be undertaken in schools, Child Care Institutions and Anganwadi centres. With Dipendra Kumar, Adarsh Akashvani News Delhi.

         

 

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will participate in the Veer Bal Diwas program organized at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal today.

         

 

“On Veer Bal Diwas, a state-level program organized at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal will include the presentation of Kirtan Jatha and a film based on the sacrifice of Sahibzadas. Various activities centered on ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ are also being organized at every district headquarters of the state.

         

 

Punjabi Sahitya Academy under the Madhya Pradesh Culture Department is organizing ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ week from 22 to 29 December. The Academy is organizing events like short film screening, light and sound show, drama presentation and Veer Ras Kavi Sammelan centered on four Sahibzadas in nine districts of the state. Sanjeev Sharma, AKASHVANI News, Bhopal.”

 

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President Droupadi Murmu will confer the ‘Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar’ on 17 children for exceptional achievements in seven categories in New Delhi today. Children from 14 states and union territories are being honored with the Bal Puraskar for their achievements in art and culture, bravery, innovation, science and technology, social service, sports, and environment. Each awardee will receive a medal, certificate, and citation booklet.

 

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A meeting of National Democratic Alliance NDA leaders was held at the residence of BJP National President and Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda in New Delhi yesterday. The objective of the meeting was to strengthen coordination among alliance partners. Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Janata Dal (United) leader and Union Panchayati Raj Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D Kumaraswamy attended the meeting.

         

Hindustani Awam Morcha leader and Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Apna Dal (Soneylal) president and Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel and Rashtriya Lok Morcha president Upendra Kushwaha also attended the meeting.

 

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Union Minister of State for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav stated that the National Ayush Mission has empowered communities with accessible and cost-effective healthcare based on traditional practices. While unveiling a film series titled “Ayush for All: Holistic Health Care through National Ayush Mission” in the national capital, he highlighted the remarkable progress and transformative impact of the mission.

         

 

The minister said, the film series is a step towards making information about government’s initiatives readily accessible to the public.

 

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1992 batch Bihar cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Arunish Chawla has been appointed the Revenue Secretary in Ministry of Finance. Mr Chawla is presently working as Secretary Pharmaceuticals in Ministry of Chemical and Fertilizers.

         

 

Chief executive officer of Unique Identification Authority of India Amit Agrawal has been appointed as new Pharmaceuticals Secretary. Manipur chief secretary Vineet Joshi has been appointed as Secretary Higher Education secretary. Special Secretary in Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Neerja Sekhar will be the director general of the National Productivity Council.

         

 

Textiles secretary Rachna Shah has been appointed Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training. Secretary of National Commission for Minorities Neelam Shammi Rao will be the new textiles secretary. Sanjay Sethi has been appointed as secretary of the National Commission for Minorities.

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute over 58 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA scheme tomorrow. Mr Modi will also interact with beneficiaries of the scheme during the event. Under the scheme, a record of rights will be handed over to every property owner in the Village Abadi or inhabited areas.

         

 

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj said that the SVAMITVA scheme will give the landowners a proof of ownership which can be used to acquire credit by enabling monetization of their properties.

         

 

Talking to media in New Delhi, Panchayati Raj Secretary Vivek Bhardwaj highlighted that around 3 lakh 17 thousand villages have been surveyed through drone inspection under the scheme and over 1 lakh 37 thousand crore square meter residential land has been mapped. He added that around 2 crore property cards have been created so far, marking a major milestone in the adoption of the scheme.

 

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Celebrated Malayalam writer and filmmaker MT Vasudevan Nair, often referred to as MT, passed away at a private hospital in Kozhikode last night at the age of 91. MT had been ailing for some time and was hospitalized since the 15th of this month.

         

 

Kerala government has declared State mourning today and tomorrow. All government functions scheduled to be held today have been deferred.

          

“A prolific and versatile story teller, M T Vasudevan Nair strode the Malayalam literary and cinematic  world like a colossus.  His works extended beyond novels and short stories and included screen plays and direction of films. MT’s works explored the complexities of human emotions and societal issues, touching upon themes of love, betrayal, alienation and struggles, set against Kerala’s cultural landscape. His writings continue to inspire readers and film makers, going beyond regional and linguistic barriers, making him one of the most influential literary figures in the country. Raj Mohan, Akashvani News, Kochi.”

 

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The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has registered a net addition of 13 lakh 41 thousand members during October this year. Labour and Employment Ministry said, the surge in members can be attributed to growing employment opportunities, increased awareness of employee benefits, and EPFO’s effective outreach initiatives. The provisional payroll data showed that EPFO enrolled around 7 lakh 50 thousand new members in October of the current fiscal year.

 

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Akashvani News brings you glimpses of 2024 in its special Year Ender series. Today, we take a look at the key initiatives and achievements of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs during the year.

         

The Smart Cities Mission under the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has improved urban living standards, safety, and public services. Some of the key achievements of Smart Cities Mission include Integrated Command and Control Centres at all 100 smart cities, 84 thousand CCTV surveillance cameras, 1,884 emergency call boxes, and more than 3,000 public address systems. Two major dumpsites in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad were completely remediated, successfully addressing around 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste. Centre has also focused on improving urban mobility through initiatives such as the Expansion of Regional Rapid Transit System between Delhi and Meerut. 42 kms of this stretch has been made operational since October, 2023. By June 2025, the remaining portion will also be operational. With Adarsh Kumar, Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.

 

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India had a delightful day in the world of sports yesterday.

         

In a proud moment for India in Weightlifting, Martina Devi from Manipur clinched a silver medal in the women’s junior +87kg category at the Asian Junior Weightlifting Championships in Doha yesterday. The 18-year-old lifted an impressive total of 225 kilograms to secure second place. Martina also earned a silver medal for her clean and jerk performance and a bronze for her effort in the snatch category. 

         

In Cricket, the Disabled Cricket Council of India has announced that the national team will participate in the Physical Disabled Champions Trophy 2025. The tournament will take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from the 12th to the 21st of next month. Cricketing giants India, England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan will compete in this prestigious event. 

         

Meanwhile, in a historic achievement, India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah has reached 904 rating points in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings. This milestone matches the highest-ever rating achieved by an Indian bowler, previously held by spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.  

         

And finally, at the National Shooting Championship in New Delhi, Rajasthan’s Maheshwari Chauhan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka emerged victorious in the skeet mixed team event, clinching the title for their home state.  MANIK SHARMA, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”

 

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Australia were 127 for 1 against India in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Melbourne, a shortwhile ago. Earlier, Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. Both the teams have won one match each in the five-match series.

 

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People in the national capital Delhi woke up to a foggy morning today as cold wave continues to grip the city. A layer of fog covered parts of Delhi with minimum temperature dropping to 7 degree Celcius.           India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast, partly cloudy skies in the city with light rain in the evening. The Maximum and Minimum temperature will hover around 23 and 7 degree celcius.

 

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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS:-

 

  • Under the caption ‘PM launches key project’, the Hindustan Times leads with “Modi kicks off ambitious Ken-Betwa river project”.

 

  • “At least 38 dead as Russia-bound aircraft crashes in Kazakhstan”. reports The Hindu.

 

  • The Pioneer on it’s front page informs, “ED investigating some Canadian colleges, Indian entities in Human trafficking case”.

 

  • ‘Pocket rupees one lakh crore in 2024’, “Investors get good exits in IPO frenzy”, writes The Financial express.

 

  • Celebrating a landmark, riding on huge network and connectivity, “Delhi Metro celebrates 22 years of operation”, informs The Delhi Tribune.

 

  • The Hindustan Times proudly writes, ‘Breaking the glass ceiling’, ‘Soaring Ambition’, “Like father, like daughter: IAF recruit to train as pilot at airbase once commanded by her dad”.

 

  • And finally, The Delhi Tribune says, “Christmas in capital: A celebration of peace, joy and faith”.

 

 

THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in Veer Baal Diwas celebrations at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today; Prime Minister to also launch Suposhit Gram Panchayat Abhiyan to improve nutrition and overall well-being of children.

 

  • President Droupadi Murmu to confer ‘Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar’ on 17 children for their exceptional achievements.

 

  • NDA leaders discuss ways to strengthen coordination among alliance partners.

 

  • Doyen of Malayalam literature and cinema, MT Vasudevan Nair passes away in Kozhikode.

 

  • EPFO registered a net addition of 13 lakh 41 thousand members in October this year.

 

  • Cricket, Boxing Day Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia underway in  Melbourne.