THE HEADLINES:
- Nation celebrates 76th Republic Day today; Republic Day Parade to showcase India’s military prowess and rich cultural heritage at Kartavya Path in national capital.
- President Droupadi Murmu says, One Nation, One Election will promote consistency in governance, prevent policy paralysis and reduce financial burden.
- 139 distinguished personalities selected for this year’s Padma Awards; Sushil Modi, Sharda Sinha, Justice JS Khehar, L Subramaniam, Osamu Suzuki and PR Sreejesh prominent among them.
- Centre notifies Unified Pension Scheme for government employees.
- And, India beat England by 2 wickets in second T20 International to take 2-Nil lead in five match cricket series.
<><><>
The Nation celebrates the 76th Republic Day today. President Droupadi Murmu will lead the Nation in celebrating Republic Day from Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The Republic Day parade will start at 10:30 AM and run for a duration of around 90 minutes. Our Correspondent has filed this report:
“The celebrations today will be a unique blend of India’s rich cultural diversity, unity, equality, development and military prowess. The ceremony will commence with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the National War Memorial, where he will lead the nation in paying tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. President Droupadi Murmu and her Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto who will arrive in the ‘Traditional Buggy’, the practice which made a comeback last year after a gap of 40 years. The National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a thunderous 21-gun salute. The parade will be heralded by 300 cultural artists playing ‘Sare Jahan Se Achha’ with musical instruments of different parts of the country. The President will take the salute during the ceremonial march past, which will include units from the Armed Forces, Para Military Forces, Auxiliary Civil Forces, NCC and NSS. A 160-member marching contingent and 190-member band contingent from Indonesia will take part in the Parade. Thirty-One tableaux from various States, Union Territories, and Central Government Ministries and Departments will participate, showcasing the theme “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas. Ten thousand Special Guests including the Sarpanch from villages, Artisans, SHG members, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, Road Construction Workers have been invited to the Republic Day Parade. From Kartavyapath in New Delhi, ANUPAM MISHRA, AKASHVANI NEWS.”
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of Republic Day. In a social media post, Mr Modi said the nation is celebrating 75 glorious years of being a Republic. He bowed to all the great women and men who made the Constitution and ensured that India’s journey is rooted in democracy, dignity and unity. He hoped that the occasion strengthens efforts towards preserving the ideals of the Constitution and working towards a stronger and prosperous India.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu has stated that the ‘One Nation One Election’ Bill introduced in Parliament promises to redefine the terms of good governance. She said the ‘One Nation One Election’ plan can promote consistency in governance, prevent policy paralysis, mitigate resource diversion, and reduce financial burden.
In her address to the nation on the eve of Republic Day, President Murmu underlined that the decision to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam was amongst the most noteworthy of such efforts.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked President Droupadi Murmu for her inspiring address to the nation ahead of the Republic Day. In a social media post, he remarked that the President highlighted many subjects and emphasised the greatness of the Constitution and the need to keep working towards national progress.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu has approved conferment of 139 Padma Awards for Year 2025. The list comprises seven Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri Awards. 23 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 Posthumous awardees.
Indian writer MT Vasudevan Nair, former chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Osamu Suzuki, singer Sharda Sinha and Indian Violinist L. Subramaniam have been awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. Singer Pankaj Udhas and economist Bibek Debroy have been given the Padma Bhushan posthumously. Hockey player PR Sreejesh has also been conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Cricketer R Ashwin and football player IM Vijayan have been awarded the Padmashree.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated all the Padma awardees. In a social media post, Mr Modi said, India is proud to honour and celebrate their extraordinary achievements.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu has approved Gallantry awards to 93 Armed Forces and Central Armed Police Forces personnel, including 11 posthumous, on the eve of 76th Republic Day. These include two Kirti Chakras, including one posthumous, 14 Shaurya Chakras, including three posthumous, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 66 Sena Medals, including seven posthumous, two Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) and eight Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
<><><>
The Centre has officially notified the implementation of the Unified Pension Scheme, UPS. The Government had introduced the Unified Pension Scheme in August last year, as an option under the National Pension System for Central Government employees. The scheme will come into effect from the 1st April this year. The notification issued yesterday stated that the UPS shall be applicable to Central Government employees who are covered under the National Pension System and who choose this option under NPS.
<><><>
The 70 member Delhi assembly will go to the polls on the 5th of next month. Akashvani News brings you a special series in view of Delhi assembly polls. Today, we take a look at the Malviya Nagar constituency.
“The Malviya Nagar assembly seat is one of the high-profile constituencies of the city in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls. Former Delhi Minister and Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti won this seat in the last 3 elections. In the last assembly polls he defeated BJP’s Shailendra Singh. This time AAP has fielded Mr Bharti again in the political battlefield. But the road to Delhi assembly seems difficult for Mr Bharti this time as BJP has given ticket to former state party president Satish Upadhyay. In an effort to make political fights triangular, Congress has chosen Jitendra Kumar Kochar from this seat. The constituency, with a diverse population does not have a dominant caste or community. Local issues, such as water drainage, parking, and cleanliness, have become major talking points among the electorate this time. Saklen Akhtar, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
<><><>
Now news from the Mahakumbh
Devotees and tourists will witness a grand cultural extravaganza at the Mahakumbh on the occasion of Republic Day today. The main event will be held at the Ganga Pavilion. Our correspondent reports that devotees will experience a confluence of spirituality, Indian culture and patriotism.
“The Mahakumbh will host various events at all four pavilions-Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, and Triveni. The event organised by Uttar Pradesh Culture Department will feature Classical and Semi-Classical Performances which will take the audience on a Spiritual Journey On one hand, the audience will be introduced to Uttar Pradesh’s rural culture through performances like Faruwahi, Birha, and Alha, while on the other hand, people will enjoy the classical performances, including Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam, Kathak, along with other classical music and dances. The devotees will also witness the spectacular drone show in the evening. The ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj has so far witnessed around eleven crore devotees taking a sacred dip at the Triveni Sangam. With Dipendra kumar, Aman yadav, Akashwani news Prayagraj.“
<><><>
In Men’s Cricket, India beat England by 2 wickets in the second T20 International in Chennai last night to take 2-Nil lead in the 5-match series. More from our correspondent:
“Chasing a target of 166 runs, India clinched victory in 19.2 overs for the loss of eight wickets. For India, Tilak Varma smashed 72 runs in 55 balls to take India home. Washington Sundar scored 26 off 19 balls while other Indian batsmen failed to impress. Varma was declared player of the match for his unbeaten heroic knock. Moving towards ICC Under-19 Women’s Cricket T20 World Cup, defending champions India will face Bangladesh in their Super Six Group 1 fixture at the Bayuemas Oval Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, today. The match is set to begin at 12:00 PM IST. India topped Group A with an unbeaten record, winning all three of their matches, while Bangladesh secured the second spot in Group D with two wins out of three. Both teams will aim to continue their strong form as they prepare for their next clash. Last we have from Meeting de Nantes Métropole 2025 where India’s Jyothi Yarraji broke her own national record and won the gold medal in the women’s 60m indoor hurdles at the Meeting de Nantes Métropole 2025 in France, Yesterday. Jyothi Yarraji, who already holds the national record in women’s 100m hurdles, clocked 8.04 seconds to win the final A at the Pierre-Quinon Metropolitan Stadium. WITH MAYUR JAIN, AISHWARYA RAI NIGAM, AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.
<><><>
TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE:
- President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the nation on the eve of the Republic Day is prominently noticed on the front pages. The Tribune reports “President Murmu backs One nation, One poll; hails new criminal laws”.
- The extradition of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India from the US gets front page coverage. The Hindustan Times lead states “26/11 plotter Rana to be extradited as US top court rejects plea.
- Taking note of the mysterious illness that has struck Jammu and Kashmir’s Badhaal village, the Times of India writes “230 isolated in Rajouri, leaves of Doctors, paramedics cancelled.
- And finally, highlighting an interesting nugget of information about this year’s Republic Day Parade, the Statesman writes “Generations of Service ; Father and Son to command Republic Day Parade for the first time”.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN:
- Nation celebrates 76th Republic Day today; Republic Day Parade to showcase India’s military prowess and rich cultural heritage at Kartavya Path in national capital.
- President Droupadi Murmu says, One Nation, One Election will promote consistency in governance, prevent policy paralysis and reduce financial burden.
- 139 distinguished personalities selected for this year’s Padma Awards; Sushil Modi, Sharda Sinha, Justice JS Khehar, L Subramaniam, Osamu Suzuki and PR Sreejesh prominent among them.
- Centre notifies Unified Pension Scheme for government employees.
- And, India beat England by 2 wickets in second T20 International to take 2-Nil lead in five match cricket series.
<><><>