Breaking News Updates: PM Modi announces COVID vaccine for kids aged 15-18 years

1. Children between the ages of 15 to 18 will be vaccinated from Jan 3, 2022.

2. Healthcare and frontline workers will be provided with "precautionary doses" from January 10, 2022.

3. People above 60 years of age who have co-morbidities can avail of 'precaution dose' of COVID vaccine on doctor's advise from Jan 10, 2022. 

"Those with comorbidities and above 60 years of age on the recommendation of their doctors will be eligible for precaution doses from January 10, 2022, onwards", said PM Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to provide COVID vaccines for kids aged between 15 to 18 years. It will begin from January 3, 2022

"India has 18 lakh isolation beds, 5 lakh oxygen supported beds, 1.40 lakh ICU beds, 90,000 pediatric ICU & non-ICU beds. We have more than 3,000 working PSA oxygen plants, 4 lakh oxygen cylinders have been distributed throughout the nation", PM Modi said. 

'I request you not to panic but be alert and wash your hands frequently and make use of mask': PM Modi on Omicron concern.

"I want to say to Delhi CM to spend less money on advertisements and give dues of Rs 13,000 crore to the municipal corporations... In our government's work culture, we do what we say" said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

"In other work cultures (Delhi govt) whether you do work or not, just give advertisements, photos, and interviews on TV. The time has come for the Delhi public to decide as to support which work culture", he added. 

DCGI approves Bharat Biotech jab for kids between the age of 12 to 18 years. 

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan laid the foundation stone of Indore Metro Line & 16 Metro Stations. CM Chouhan said, "Metro will be established in a ring shape starting & ending at the Indore Airport with 16 stations in between, as a part of a Rs 7,500 crore scheme".

Uttarakhand Minister Harak Rawat meets CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to discuss his demands. It is learned that Rawat was in a rift with the Chief Minister over “government inaction” for a medical college that he had proposed to be established in Kotdwar. 

Navjot Singh Sidhu openly insults the Punjab Police says, "Police will wet their pants".

An undated video clip of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi threatening U.P police of consequences for allegedly oppressing Muslims had gone viral earlier. In the video, Owaisi was heard saying that Uttar Pradesh police will face the wrath of Allah for oppressing the Muslims of the state and that neither PM Modi nor CM Yogi will save them. 

Kerala reports one more case of Omicron from the Kannur district, taking the total tally of the state to 38, Kerala Health Minister Veena George informed.

"State govt should do something about it (farmer suicides) instead of blaming. The Centre is working to double farmers' income. State should also take responsibility to stop suicides", said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra S Tomar.

Assam government announced that a night curfew will be in force from 11.30 PM to 6 AM. The new guideline will be effective from tomorrow, Dec 26, across Assam. It is to be noted that the curfew is not applicable on Dec 31. 

"A new 'Samyukta Samaj Morcha' is formed for contesting Punjab Assembly elections. 22 unions have taken this decision. We need to change the system and want to appeal to people to support this morcha", informed Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal in Chandigarh. 

The Border Security Force (BSF) foiled a smuggling bid in Punjab. Recovered several packets of heroin.

In a major development concerning the Ludhiana court blast, two more are arrested.  An explosion occurred at a Ludhiana court on Thursday at around 12:25 PM, killing one and injuring 6.

Two terrorists neutralized in an ongoing encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Hardumir Tral area, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar informed. 

Harbhajan Singh speaks to Republic about his memorable moments in his cricket career. He had announced retirement from all forms of competitive cricket on December 24 via a social media post and a video that he shared on his official YouTube channel. 

Digvijaya Singh, infamous for his contentious statements has yet again whisked a controversy over 'Hinduism vs Hindutva'. 

An encounter has broken out between security forces and terrorists in Avantipora, Tral. Two terrorists have been trapped. The joint operation is underway.

After the officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued an invitation to Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to visit India, it is now speculated that PM Deuba is expected to visit India in early January next year. As per the reports of ANI, a top official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Nepali Prime Minister Deuba has been formally invited to visit and that this would be his second trip to another country. The official also stated that he will most likely travel to India in the first few weeks of January in the next year.

In a massive development in the Ludhiana court blast, Gagandeep Singh, a former policeman who was identified as the one killed in the explosion has been confirmed to be the bomber behind the major explosion in the Ludhiana district court. Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya on Saturday, confirmed the same while speaking to Republic TV. The DGP also said that the deceased suspect was part of organised crime and has possible links with pro-Khalistan groups.

In a major development concerning the Ludhiana court blast, a female constable has been arrested who had links to the prime suspect.  An explosion occurred at a Ludhiana court on Thursday at around 12:25 PM, killing one and injuring 6. 

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya on Friday chaired a high-level meeting in which it was decided to continue support to the domestic industry for the production of P&K fertilizers, Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry informed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Gurudwara Lakhpat in Gujarat on the occasion of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Prakash Purab. PM Modi talked about the great Sikh Gurus who fought for the country. 

Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya informed that the deceased person, former policeman Gagandeep Singh was carrying the explosion.

Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the nation on Good Governance Day from Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. 

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Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists neutralized in the encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Chowgam area of Shopian, informed IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar. 

Yesterday the Congress leader had a meeting with top leadership at Rahul Gandhi's residence. 

Watch Harish Rawat's media briefing here:

The Union Health Ministry has decided to deploy multi-disciplinary Central teams to 10 identified States some of which are either reporting an increasing number of Omicron & COVID19 cases or a slow vaccination pace.

ED has released fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi's properties worth Rs 1000 crore for auction to recover dues.

A day after the Anantnag encounter where a terrorist was gunned down, two more terrorists were eliminated in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

A total of 415 Omicron cases were reported in 17 States/UTs of India so far. The number of persons recovered is 115, informed Union Health Ministry.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad slammed the Centre on Saturday while arguing, 'dictatorship was better than the present regime.'

Asking Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to cooperate with Centre, Congress MP Ravneet Bittu has also requested the Chief Minister to not politicise the Ludhiana Court Blast matter. 

"Its not a political fight between Congress and BJP," added Congress MP. 

The leaders have reached Rajghat in New Delhi to pay their tributes to the former Prime Minister. 

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Both the leaders talked about the teachings provided by Jesus Christ. 

As per sources, Congress will fight the upcoming elections in Punjab under party leadership. 

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In view of the increasing COVID-19 cases and spread of the Omicron variant in India, shops and street vendors in Sarojini Nagar Market in the national capital shall follow odd-even operations for the weekend of December 25 and December 26, the Delhi Government announced. 

The Delhi government in its order stated, "The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is satisfied that the NCT of Delhi is threatened with the spread of COVID-19, which has already been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization and has considered it necessary to take effective measures to prevent its spread and issued various orders/instructions from time to time to all authorities concerned to take all required measures to appropriately deal with the situation in NCT of Delhi."

In a massive development in the Ludhiana court blast, Republic on Friday learnt that the body of the suspect has been identified. As per sources, it is of one Gagandeep Singh. Though Singh's face and body were disfigured, his family gave confirmation that the body was his. 

Read full story here. 

Moments after meeting the Congress high command, senior leader Harish Rawat on Friday affirmed that he is going to lead the party's campaign in the Uttarakhand Assembly polls. The 73-year-old added that the representatives of Congress will support him, and they will together lead the party to victory in the polls scheduled for 2022. 

"Kadam Kadam milaye ja, Congress ke jeet ke dhun gaye ja. Zingadi hai Uttarakhand ke vaaste, Uttarakhand par lutae jaa (Keep marching forward in unison, sing praises of the Congress, this life is for Uttarakhand, devote it to Uttarakhand)," Rawat said

Amid a surge in cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), also called BMC, has issued fresh guidelines for international passengers arriving in Mumbai. According to the statement, all arriving passengers from Dubai need to undergo mandatory seven days of home quarantine.

"There will be no need for an RT-PCR test on arrival. "Travellers residing in other parts of Maharashtra, other than Mumbai will be transferred by Collection who shall arrange transport for such travellers. These travellers will not be allowed to take public transport," the order said.