THE HEADLINES::
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch multiple development projects in Thiruvananthapuram today; To also flag off three Amrit Bharat Express to enhance rail connectivity across Kerala.
- Government notifies questions to be posed to citizens in the first phase of Census 2027 starting April 1.
- Centre to organise Parakram Diwas from today to commemorate 129th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
- First trilateral meeting of Russia, US and Ukraine to begin in UAE today in an effort to end war in UKraine.
- Festival of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja being celebrated in different parts of the country today.
- Ski-resort of Gulmarg and some other areas of Kashmir valley receive fresh snowfall.
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala today. During the visit, Mr Modi will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and flag off various developmental projects in Thiruvananthapuram. He will also address the gathering on the occasion. The projects span key sectors including rail connectivity, urban livelihoods, science and innovation, citizen-centric services, and advanced healthcare, reflecting the Prime Minister’s continued focus on inclusive growth, technological advancement and improved quality of life for citizens.
The Prime Minister will flag off four new train services, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains and one passenger train.
“The new Amrit Bharat Express trains to Tambaram, Mangaluru, and Cherlapally, along with the Thrissur-Guruvayur Passenger train, will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
During his visit, the Prime Minister will also launch PM SVANidhi credit cards and distribute PM SVANidhi loans to one lakh roadside vendors. He will lay the foundation stones for the CSIR Technology Hub and the Radio Surgery Centre at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology. In addition, the Poojappura Head Post Office will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister will also attend BJP workers’ meeting before departing Thiruvananthapuram in the afternoon.Smithy M Palluruthy, Akashvani News, Thiruvananthapuram.”
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting along with the leaders of NDA alliance partners at Madhuranthagam near Chennai in Tamil Nadu today.
“Senior BJP leader and election in Charge of Tamilnadu Piyush Goyal has been in the city making preparations for the event and meeting the leaders. State Opposition leader and General Secretary of the AIADMK Edappadi Palanisamy, former Union Ministers Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss, G.K.Vaasan, AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, IJK leader Pachamuthu, former MP A.C.Shanmugam and others will be present at this meeting.This is the first political public event laying the foundation for Assembly election which will be announced soon. Joy/Akashvani News/Chennai.”
<><><>
The Government has notified 33 questions that will be put to citizens during the first phase of the Census starting April 1. The first phase of Census 2027 – houselisting operations – will take place during a 30-day period specified by each State and Union Territory between April 1 and September 30 this year.
“The enumerators will ask about the ownership status of the house, its use, the type of material used in flooring and roof, the number of rooms, and the sex of the head of the household during the survey. The enumerators will then ask about the use of the house, its condition, and the number of persons normally residing in the household. Officials will also collect information about the head of the household, like the name and sex, whether the head of the household belongs to the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribe or other communities and the ownership status.
There will also be an option for self-enumeration to be conducted in a 15-day period just before the start of houselisting operations of 30 days.
The Census will be conducted in two phases – house-listing and housing census from April to September; and population enumeration in February 2027. Ashish p. abraham AKASHVANI NEWS, DELHI.”
<><><>
The Ministry of Culture is organizing Parakram Diwas-2026 from today in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, marking the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The celebrations will take place at 13 other locations across the country associated with the life and legacy of freedom fighter Bose. It also honours his enduring legacy of courage, sacrifice and patriotism.
<><><>
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan will be on a visit to Odisha and West Bengal today. This will be his maiden visit to the two states after assuming office. During the visit, the Vice President will attend the Parakram Diwas celebrations being organised by the Ministry of Culture in Cuttack in Odisha, and Kolkata in West Bengal.
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C.P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary which is commemorated as Parakram Diwas.
<><><>
Prime Minister’s flagship platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, PRAGATI, has marked a significant milestone with the successful conduct of its 50th meeting. Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, PRAGATI has transformed governance by enabling real-time monitoring and resolution of key infrastructure projects and public grievances through direct Prime Ministerial review. Over a decade, PRAGATI has helped accelerate decision-making, resolution of issues causing delay in key infrastructure projects, and instilled a strong culture of accountability. Today, in this special series, we take a look at the Jaipur-Sikar-Churu Gauge Conversion Project.
“The Jaipur-Sikar-Churu Gauge Conversion Project is a major rail infrastructure initiative in Rajasthan, implemented by North Western Railway under the administrative oversight of the Ministry of Railways. The project entails conversion of the existing metre-gauge alignment to broad gauge over a total length of approximately 320 kilometres at a total project cost of 1,222 crore rupees. Following phased execution, the gauge-converted sections were commissioned on 25th April 2019, integrating this corridor into the national broad-gauge network. The project was reviewed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under PRAGATI on 28th September 2016. During the review, Prime Minister Modi took note of the fact that progress was being impeded primarily due to land disputes and forest-related objections. Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Railways and Rajasthan government, in consultation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to expeditiously resolve the land and forest issues. He further directed that working permission be issued within a defined time frame, land required for the project be acquired immediately, and that similar cases involving forest issues be escalated to the Cabinet Secretary for systemic resolution. Suparna Saikia, Akashvani News, Delhi.”
<><><>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from President of Brazil, Lula da Silva yesterday. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the India-Brazil Strategic Partnership and take it to even greater heights in the year ahead. In a statement, External Affairs Ministry said that the two leaders noted with satisfaction the significant progress achieved across diverse areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, technology, defence, energy, health, agriculture, and people-to-people ties.
<><><>
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine, United States, and Russia are going to hold a trilateral meeting in UAE today and tomorrow. This marks the first time since the 2022 conflict that delegations from all three nations will meet together to discuss ending the war. Zelenskyy shared the news at the World Economic Forum in Davos following a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
<><><>
The festival of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja are being celebrated in different parts of the country today with religious fervor and traditional gaiety. People especially students worship the goddess of wisdom and knowledge Saraswati on this occasion.
Basant Panchami is being celebrated in Uttar Pradesh with religious fervour.
“40 days long Holi Utsav will start in Mathura Vrindavan on the occasion of Basant panchmi. devotees will play holi with Lord Krisna in different temples. Traditional ritual of Tilkotsav of Baba Vishwanath will also take place today in Varanasi. Lakhs of devotees thronged Sangam – a confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati – at Prayagraj from early morning to take a holy dip on Basant panchmi which is an important snan of Magh mela. The day is also celebrated as Saraswati Puja and the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, Saraswati, will be worshipped in various programs scheduled in schools and colleges across the state today.SUSHIL CHANDRA TIWARI, AKASHWANI NEWS, LUCKNOW.”
<><><>
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C.P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have extended their greetings to all fellow countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami.
<><><>
In Chhattisgarh, a Literature Festival is beginning today in the state capital, Raipur.
“The Raipur Literature Festival will see the participation of renowned poets, writers, thinkers, artists, journalists, theatre personalities and literature enthusiasts from across the country. During the three-day festival, literary discussions, seminars, poetry recitations and story sessions and cultural performances will be organised. Events such as a National Book Fair, an Open Talent Platform and a Painting Workshop will also be held during the festival. Vikalp Shukla, Akashvani News, Raipur.”
<><><>
The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg and a few other areas in the Kashmir valley received fresh snowfall with high-speed winds sweeping Srinagar and other plains. Fresh snowfall started in Gulmarg in Baramulla district yesterday evening, as a strong western disturbance made an impact in Jammu and Kashmir. While a couple of inches of fresh snow has accumulated in Gulmarg, moderate snowfall was going on when reports last came in.
<><><>
A full dress rehearsal of Republic Day parade will take place on Kartavya Path in the national capital today. The parade rehearsal will start at 10:30 AM from Vijay Chowk and will proceed to Red Fort. The rehearsal will showcase India’s rich heritage, military prowess, and cultural diversity. As the nation gears up for the big day, the rehearsal will a captivating preview of the celebrations to come.
<><><>
TODAY’S NEWSPAPERS HEADLINE,
- There was no Indian presence as US President Trump launched his Board of Peace, a body conceived for working for peace in Gaza, writes Hindustan Times. “India keeps Trump waiting on Gaza board”, reads The Asian Age
- The unfortunate death of Indian soldiers in an accident has been covered on the front pages of dailies. “10 Jawans die as vehicle falls into gorge in Doda”, headlines The Tribune.
- In a news item headlined, “Turbulence in the sky”, Financial Express reports that IndiGo Quarter 3 profit has fallen 78% on December 2025 trouble, and Air India loss in Financial Year 26 may cross 15,000 crore rupees.
- Top Maoist with Rs. 1 crore bounty among 15 killed in Jharkhand encounter, reports The Indian Express.
- The Hindu, in its Editorial comment titled, “A dangerous march towards a Himalayan ecocide”, spotlights the ecologically vulnerable Himalayas, and talks about the staggering human cost of 331 days of near continuous climate impacts in 2025, with over 4,000 deaths attributed to climate-induced disasters. The editorial informs that Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand suffered the heaviest tolls, suggesting that disaster resilience must take precedence over disaster-prone projects and infrastructure.
- The Times of India writes that Bangladesh has said its team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup due to “genuine security risks”, demanding that its team’s games be shifted out of India.
- The Statesman quotes Delhi Police as saying that hi-tech watertight security has been clamped in Delhi ahead of Republic Day celebrations.
- Air Force flypast to re-enact Operation Sindoor strike, on Republic Day, reports The Pioneer. The Times of India writes, “Makhana to microchips, Republic Day to showcase India’s story of growth.”
- And finally, Mumbai and 14 other cities in Maharashtra will get women mayors drawin from various social categories, writes Hindustan Times.
<><><>
THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN,
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch multiple development projects in Thiruvananthapuram today; To also flag off three Amrit Bharat Express to enhance rail connectivity across Kerala.
- Government notifies questions to be posed to citizens in the first phase of Census 2027 starting April 1.
- Centre to organise Parakram Diwas from today to commemorate 129th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
- First trilateral meeting of Russia, US and Ukraine to begin in UAE today in an effort to end war in UKraine.
- Festival of Basant Panchami and Saraswati Puja being celebrated in different parts of the country today.
- Ski-resort of Gulmarg and some other areas of Kashmir valley receive fresh snowfall.
<><><>
