Morning News

THE HEADLINES:-

Home Minister Amit Shah to chair regional conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security in New Delhi today; To launch a drive to destroy seized narcotics worth over 2,400 crore rupees.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal sets 100 billion dollar export target for Food and Beverages, agriculture and marine products in next five years.
Grand three-day celebration to commence at Ram temple in Ayodhya from today to mark first anniversary of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol.
US President-elect Donald Trump receives ‘unconditional discharge’ following conviction in hush money case.
In Badminton, Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to play unseeded South Korean duo in Men’s Doubles’ semifinals of Malaysia Open today.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a regional conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security in New Delhi today. The conference, which is being organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), aims to address the growing concern of drug trafficking and its impact on national security, with a special focus on eight states and Union Territories of northern India. During the event, Mr. Shah will launch the Drug Disposal Fortnight drive and inaugurate the new office complex of the NCB’s Bhopal zonal unit and extension of the MANAS-2 helpline to all states and Union Territories.
During the drug disposal fortnight drive, which will continue till 25th of this month, more than 44 thousand kilograms of seized narcotics worth 2411 crore rupees, will be disposed of.

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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India has the potential to reach 100 billion US dollars in combined exports from the Food & Beverage (F&B), agriculture, and marine products industries in the next five years. Addressing on the sidelines of Indusfood 2025 in New Delhi, the Minister emphasised that the target is achievable, requiring a combined annual growth rate of 14 to 15 percent.

The Minister urged Indian companies to invest in innovation, better packaging, sustainability and to mechanise their processes to enhance hygiene and efficiency.

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Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India aims to establish itself as world’s largest destination for data centres. Speaking on the sidelines of the Bharat Climate Forum in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Goyal said, India can realize this goal due to its interconnected grid, clean power, data security and trained workforce.
The Minister mentioned that the country is is one of the best performing countries under the Paris Agreement and is well ahead on every goal. He added that India has achieved its proposed 2030 target of having 40 to 45 percent of installed capacity as renewable or clean energy 8 years ahead of the schedule by 2022 itself.

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Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw laid the foundation stone for a new assembly line to produce laptops at the state-of-the-art Chennai facility of leading electronic systems design and manufacturing company Syrma SGS Technology Ltd in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said this facility marks a significant milestone in the ‘Make in India’ initiative, as Syrma SGS collaborates with Taiwanese brand Micro Star International to produce laptops for the Indian market.

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In Madhya Pradesh, Bharatiya Janata Party will launch Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan (Constitution Pride Campaign) from today to celebrate the completion of 75 years of Indian Constitution. Through the initiative, the values and principles of the Indian Constitution will be promoted and tribute will be paid to Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar. More from our correspondent:

“BJP’s Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan will run from today till 25 January. Under the campaign, copies of the Constitution will be distributed by contacting Scheduled Castes, intellectuals, women and youth. Under Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan, seminars will be organized in all the districts of the state including Bhopal. On the concluding day, BJP workers will read the preamble of the Constitution at every booth. At the same time, Congress is also organizing a Jai Bhim, Jai Bapu, Jai Samvidhan rally on 26 January in Mhow, the birthplace of Dr. Ambedkar. National President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi will also participate in this rally. Sanjeev Sharma, Akashvani News, Bhopal.”

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BJP’s Central Election Committee held a meeting in New Delhi last evening to finalise the name of party candidates for Delhi assembly polls. The meeting took place at the party headquarters and was attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President J P Nadda, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and other top party leaders as well as the leaders of the Delhi BJP Unit.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi tomorrow on the occasion of National Youth Day, commemorating the birth anniversary of youth icon and one of the greatest spiritual leaders of India, Swami Vivekananda. During the dialogue, Mr. Modi will engage with three thousand dynamic young leaders from across the country.

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In Uttar Pradesh, a grand three-day long celebration, to commemorate the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol at the magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya, is set to commence from today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple on the 22nd of January last year. However, the anniversary of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony is being celebrated today, due to the alignment with the Hindu lunar calendar. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the program and perform the abhishek of Ram Lalla’s idol. Following this other rituals will be performed. On the lines of the anointment during the Pran Pratishtha ceremony held last year, Ram Lalla’s idol will be anointed this time as well.

“Ayodhya is all set to celebrate the first anniversary of Ram Lalla’s pran partishtha. On the first day, Ram Lalla will be dressed in a specially crafted Pitambari outfit, woven वोवेन with gold and silver threads in Delhi. The Shri Ram Mandir Trust has informed that around 110 VIPs will attend the event. Additionally, a German hangar tent capable of hosting 5,000 people has been set up at Angad Tila, where the public can witness grand programs. General Secretary of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Champat Rai said that common people will be allowed to attend the events on all three days at Angad Tila. Invitations have also been sent to saints and devotees to join the celebrations. Om Awasthi, Akashwani News, Lucknow.”

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Now News from Mahakumbh:

Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh is set to be an extraordinary blend of spirituality and innovation, bringing together the sacred traditions with state-of-the-art digital advancements. Special arrangements have been made to thwart cyber threats during the grand event.

“In the Mahakumbh, 56 dedicated cyber warriors and experts have been deployed for cyber patrolling. Mahakumbh cyber police station has been established to counter cyber threats like fraudulent websites, social media scams and fake links. Forty Variable Messaging Displays are being installed in both the fair area and the commissionerates for raising awareness about cyber threats. A dedicated helpline number 1920 has been set up for the purpose. Cyber experts are actively monitoring online threats and investigating gangs exploiting social media platforms. Currently, the team of experts has identified around 50 suspicious websites and action is underway against them. With Anand Kumar, Anupam Mishra, Akashvani News, Mahakumbh Nagar, Prayagraj.”

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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a state visit to France, followed by his participation in the Artificial intelligence (AI) Summit, scheduled to be held next month.

Speaking at the French Ambassadors Conference, President Macron described the upcoming AI Summit as a “summit for action,” aimed at fostering meaningful discussions on artificial Intelligence.

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US President-elect Donald Trump has been sentenced to unconditional discharge in connection with his conviction in the hush money case. Unconditional discharge, confirms Mr Trump’s conviction in the case without consequences. It means the incoming president will not be imprisoned, fined or face probation, but his conviction still stands, and he will still take office as the first US president with a felony conviction.

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In the US, at least 11 people have died in the devastating firestorms raging across Los Angeles County. According to preliminary numbers from state and local officials, more than thirteen thousand structures have been destroyed in the fires. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered an inquiry into the county’s water management.

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In Badminton, the Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will face the unseeded South Korean pair of Seo Seung-jae and Kim Won-ho in the Men’s Doubles semifinals of Malaysia Super 1000 tournament in Kuala Lumpur today.

Earlier, in the quarterfinals, the Indian duo secured a straight-game victory over Malaysia’s Yew Sin Ong and Ee Yi Teo.

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In the Men’s Hockey India League, Tamil Nadu Dragons defeated Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers 2-1 in a thrilling match played at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela last evening.

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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES:-

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s podcast yesterday has found wide coverage on the front pages of most dailies. “PM: World trusts us, for peace; My tagline is nation first…willing to leave old things and accept new ones”, notes The Indian Express.
“Status quo at Sambhal mosque, SC bars puja & holy bath at shrine well”, is a front-page headline in The Tribune.
“Bigger Capex loans to states; 50-year facility seen to boost public investments”, says Financial Express.
“In a first, selection process for next Chief Election Commissioner casts wider net; Earlier most senior EC was default choice to succeed CEC”, reports The Indian Express.
Under an alarming headline, Hindustan Times reports that 2024 was both the warmest year on record as well as the first year when the average global temperature broke the 1.5 degree celsius threshold over pre-industrial level.
And finally, Financial Express notes how Maha Kumbh has become a pitching ground for brands, as a 2-lakh-crore business opportunity India Inc is vying for.

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-

Home Minister Amit Shah to chair regional conference on Drug Trafficking and National Security in New Delhi today; To launch a drive to destroy seized narcotics worth over 2,400 crore rupees.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal sets 100 billion dollar export target for Food and Beverages, agriculture and marine products in next five years.
Grand three-day celebration to commence at Ram temple in Ayodhya from today to mark first anniversary of ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla’s idol.
US President-elect Donald Trump receives ‘unconditional discharge’ following conviction in hush money case.
In Badminton, Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to play unseeded South Korean duo in Men’s Doubles’ semifinals of Malaysia Open today.

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