THE HEADLINES:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to distribute over 65 lakh property cards under SVAMITVA Scheme to beneficiaries from 50 thousand villages today.
- Budget session of Parliament to begin on 31st of this month with President’s address; Union Budget to be presented on 1st of February.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh calls for need to strengthen country’s offensive and defensive responses amid global turmoil.
- IMF retains India’s economic growth outlook at 6.5 per cent over next two financial years.
- US Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok in the country from tomorrow if platform is not sold by Chinese parent company.
- And, Indian Men’s and Women’s teams cruise into semi-finals of Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will distribute over 65 lakh property cards under the SVAMITVA Scheme to beneficiaries through video conferencing today, marking a monumental milestone in country’s rural empowerment and governance journey. The property cards will be distributed in over 50 thousand villages across ten states and two Union Territories. Our correspondent reports that the scheme aims to drive the economic transformation of rural India by providing property owners in village Abadi areas with a Record of Rights.
“The Svamitva scheme was launched in 2020 to enhance the economic development of rural India by providing a Record of Rights to households through advanced drone technology for surveying. It also facilitates property monetization, enables access to institutional credit through bank loans, reduces property-related disputes, and supports better property assessments and property tax collection in rural areas. The drone surveys have been completed in over 3.17 lakh villages so far, covering 92 per cent of the targeted areas. Nearly two crore 25 lakh property cards have been prepared for more than one lakh 50 thousand villages. The scheme has reached full saturation in Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Tripura, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. With Dipendra Kumar, Saklen Akhtar, Akashvani News Delhi.”
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In Madhya Pradesh, more than 15 lakh 63 thousand beneficiaries will receive property cards from the Prime Minister under SVAMITVA Scheme during e-distribution programme today.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also virtually interact with beneficiaries.Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav will be present at the state-level event in Seoni. Madhya Pradesh’s district headquarters will also host a property card program in which Union and State Ministers, MPs and MLAs will take part. It is estimated that there are approximately 45 lakh 60 thousand of these properties in Madhya Pradesh. Around 39 lakh 63 thousand property right cards have already been prepared and 24 lakh cards have been distributed so far. Sanjeev Sharma, Akashvani News, Bhopal.”
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The Budget session of Parliament will commence from 31st of this month. The session will commence with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on 31st of January. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on 1st of February.
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has emphasized the need to strengthen the country’s offensive and defensive responses in view of growing tensions globally within the defense and security landscape.
He said the complexities of a country’s defence forces are increasing with time. He was addressing an event organised to commemorate 2024 as the Year of Naval Civilians in New Delhi yesterday.
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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has approved 11 thousand 440 crore rupees revival package for Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL). Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told media in New Delhi yesterday, with the help of this package, all the employees of RINL as well as all the people connected with the economic activities of RINL will be immensely benefited.
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The Odisha government has signed eight MoUs with Singapore-based organisations for collaborations in different fields including skill development, green energy and industrial park development. The MoUs have been signed at Bhubaneswar in presence of Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi and Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. President Shanmugaratnam has been on a two-day visit to Odisha since yesterday with a high-level delegation, including ministers, Members of Parliament and senior officials.
“The Odisha government has signed eight MoUs with different Singapore-based organisations following a bilateral discussion between the Singapore delegation led by President Shanmugaratnam. The MoUs have been signed for industrial parks, green hydrogen corridor, petrochemical and petroleum investment region, development of a new city, new energy, strengthening FinTech Ecosystem, advancing skill landscape and skill development in semiconductor sector. The President of Singapore admired Odisha’s efforts in advancing skill development and fostering innovation. President Shanmugaratnam will visit the heritage village at Raghurajpur, Sun Temple in Konark and a vaccine manufacturing plant on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on the last day of his visit to Odisha. Prakash Dash, Akashvani News, Bhubanswar.”
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The ongoing Mahakumbh at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh is drawing a record number of devotees, all converging at the Triveni Sangam to take a sacred dip. This grand congregation of millions of people has not only brought immense pride to the city but also provided a major boost to its local economy and businesses. More from our correspondent.
“Industries such as hospitality, food, woollen clothing, blankets, quilts, mattresses and electronics have witnessed a 30 to 40 per cent growth in sales. It is expected to reach 50 per cent as the grand event progresses. Even though the Mahakumbh has just begun, retail and wholesale businesses in the city have already seen a two- to three-fold increase in sales. Whether it is the hotel industry, retail businesses, or the textile industry, all sectors have seen significant growth in the past week. Traders are hopeful for even more sales on the day of Mauni Amavasya. As the Mahakumbh progresses, further growth is expected in trades. The Mahakumbh 2025 is expected to generate a revenue of two lakh crore rupees. Anand Kumar for Akashvani News, Prayagraj.”
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The scrutiny of nomination papers for the election to 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place today. The nomination process for the Delhi Assembly polls ended yesterday with a total of over one thousand candidates submitting their papers. Monday is the last date for the withdrawal of candidature. Voting for the Delhi Assembly elections will be held on the 5th of next month and the counting on 8th February.
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The Mumbai Police questioned a carpenter in connection with the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence. The carpenter, was questioned at Bandra police station yesterday as his facial features matched the suspected attacker. The police investigation is underway.
Doctors have said, the actor is recovering well and has been shifted out of the ICU.
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has retained its growth projection for India at 6.5 per cent for next two financial years, 2025-26 and 2026-27 holding that it is in line with potential. The IMF stated this in its latest update of World Economic Outlook released yesterday. According to IMF, India maintain the fastest growth rate among the world’s largest economies.
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The US Supreme Court has upheld a federal law proposing nationwide ban on Video-sharing platform TikTok beginning tomorrow unless the Chinese-owned social media is sold to a US-based owner. The unanimous ruling, issued yesterday, aligns with Congress and the Justice Department’s stance that TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, poses a national security threat. The US has joined India in implementing a nationwide ban on TikTok and several other countries.
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In the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL), Delhi SG Pipers ended their winless streak with a 2-0 victory against table-toppers JSW Soorma Hockey Club at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela yesterday.
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In the Kho Kho World Cup 2025, both the Indian Men’s and Women’s teams have advanced to the semi-finals in New Delhi. The two teams have been exceptional throughout the tournament, remaining unbeaten in all their matches.
In the Semifinals, both the Indian Men’s and Women’s teams will face South Africa in their respective fixtures at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The Women’s match is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM, followed by the Men’s semifinal at 8:15 PM.
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National Sports Awardees have expressed their joy upon being conferred with prestigious awards by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi. Talking exclusively with Akashvani News, Arjuna Awardee and Paris Paralympic Gold Medallist in Javelin Throw, Navdeep Singh said that amongst several challenges he faced, his biggest challenge was to fight his internal battles and prove himself.
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The Postal Department in Bihar is set to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) in its services, including parcel delivery, booking, logistics, and customer-centric operations. Talking to Akashvani News, Chief Post Master General (CPMG) of Bihar, Anil Kumar, shared that AI integration will enhance the efficiency and capacity of the postal system.
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said, dense to very dense fog conditions is likely to continue over Northwest India till tomorrow. According to the IMD, these conditions will prevail during the night and early morning hours in parts of Uttar Pradesh and West Rajasthan today, and in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh till tomorrow.
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TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS,HEADLINE
⦁ Hindustan Times quotes Prime Minister Modi as saying, ” India’s auto sector reflects nation’s aspirations.”
⦁ “Future India-US relations to be heavily based on tech says External Affairs Minister,” writes The Tribune.
⦁ The Times Of India quotes the Ministry of External Affairs as saying “Jaishankar, Army Chief on the same page on China disengagement. “
⦁ “At least 126 Indians, joined Russian Army, 16 ‘missing’, says Centre” reports The Hindu.
⦁ “Israel-Hamas truce all but a done deal ” states Business Standard.
⦁ “Mystery deepens in Saif Ali assault” reports The Pioneer.
⦁ “Pakistan ex-Prime Minister Imran gets 14-year jail in land graft case, 7 years for wife” notes The Asian Age.
⦁ “Budget Session of Parliament from 31st January to 4th April” reports The Statesman.
⦁ And finally, “Indians explore budget tour routes amid rupee dip ” says Business Standard.
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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:-
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to distribute over 65 lakh property cards under SVAMITVA Scheme to beneficiaries from 50 thousand villages today.
- Budget session of Parliament to begin on 31st of this month with President’s address; Union Budget to be presented on 1st of February.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh calls for need to strengthen country’s offensive and defensive responses amid global turmoil.
- IMF retains India’s economic growth outlook at 6.5 per cent over next two financial years.
- US Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok in the country from tomorrow if platform is not sold by Chinese parent company.
- And, Indian Men’s and Women’s teams cruise into semi-finals of Kho Kho World Cup in New Delhi.
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