India News LIVE | Maoist killed in encounter with security forces in Bijapur in Chhattisgarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote "Jai Shri Ram" in the visitors' book at the office of the Ganga Godavari Panchkoti Purohit Sangh here during his visit to the river Godavari on Friday.

On a daylong visit to Maharashtra, he held a roadshow in the city and also visited the famous Kalaram temple situated along the banks of Godavari.

A man was held for allegedly killing his brother and burying his body in a brick kiln, a Nagpur police official said on Friday.

Vilas Hingankar (45) was killed and buried by his brother Chandan and the latter's associate Manohar Dudhbarwe on June 8 last year, the Koradi police station official said.

A drug-addict reportedly set ablaze his home in Assam's Nagaon district after his family refused to give him money to buy narcotics, a police official said on Friday.

The official said the incident occured on Thursday evening at Morongial Pathar area of the district.

A Naxalite carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head was killed on Friday in an encounter with security forces in Bijapur in Chhattisgarh, a police official said. The gunfight took place in the afternoon in a forest near Pusnar village under Gangalur police station limits when the District Reserve Guard of Bijapur and Dantewada and the Central Reserve Police Force's (CRPF) 85th battalion were on an anti-Naxal operation, he said.

The Customs Department’s Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) on Thursday intercepted a woman flyer travelling from Rome to Kochi and recovered four  crude gold rods from her possession at Kochi airport. 

The woman was intercepted at the green channel by the officers of the AIU batch following an intelligence forwarded by customs, officials said.

Ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the demand for saffron flags bearing images of Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman and the upcoming grand temple has risen manifold. As Ayodhya will virtually be fortified on the day of the 'Pran Pratishtha' on January 22, devotees from nearby districts are arriving early for a 'darshan' of Ram Lalla and are purchasing these flags, besides other merchandise bearing the name and images of Lord Ram

The body of a teenage boy, who used to stay in a hostel, was found hanging in one of the classrooms of his school in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Friday, police said.

The incident took place in Anlagunja village, Bangriposhi area.

A Delhi court on Friday extended by five days the police custody of alleged Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Javaid Ahmad Matoo, claimed to be involved in 11 terror attack cases in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Nabeela Wali extended Matoo's custody after he was produced before the court on expiry of the 7-day police remand granted earlier.

The ZPM government in Mizoram has constituted a new boundary committee to handle issues related to the state's border dispute with neighbouring Assam, a home department official said on Friday.

The committee is headed by Home Minister K Sapdanga, while Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Lalthansanga is the vice chairman of the panel, according to a recent notification.

In a major reshuffle in Delhi Police, at least 25 IPS officers, including special commissioners Dependra Pathak, HGS Dhaliwal and Ravindra Singh Yadav, and two DANIPS officers were transferred by Delhi Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday.

As per the order issued by the LG's office, Special Commissioner of Police (law and order zone I) Dependra Pathak (1990-batch IPS) has been transferred to the Security unit. Special CP (Crime) Ravindra Singh Yadav (1995-batch IPS) will now be heading the Law and Order Zone I.

The number of cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 has crossed 1,000 mark with Uttar Pradesh becoming the latest state to join the list of 16 states and UTs which have detected its presence, according to INSACOG.

The data compiled by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) showed Karnataka has reported the highest number of cases at 214, followed by Maharashtra (170), Kerala (154), Andhra Pradesh (189), Gujarat (76) and Goa (66).

SpiceJet will operate a special flight from the national capital to Ayodhya on January 21 to fly people attending the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple.

The 'Pran Pratishta' ceremony at the temple will be held on January 22.

The Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 30.

A second-year student of a private college allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself in the college hostel in Telangana’s Hanumakonda, police said on Friday.

According to T Gopi, Sub Inspector of Police, Hasanparthy Police Station, the girl student was pursuing BSc Agriculture.

Two persons were arrested on Friday in connection with the attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team during a raid at the house of TMC leader Shajahan Seikh in Sandeshkhali last week, police said. Those arrested were identified as Mehaboob Mollah and Sukomal Sardar, they said. "Based on various video footage, today we have arrested the two persons," news agency PTI quoted Basirhat SP Joby Thomas as saying.

Asserting that Lord Ram is a unifying force, JNU vice-chancellor Santishree D Pandit has said building the Ram temple in Ayodhya was important to reconcile with the civilisational history of India and it will bring a paradigm shift in the country.

She also advocated a need to create a space where no one should insult others' faith. Her remarks came a few weeks after an incident in which graffiti and slogans calling for the rebuilding of Babri Masjid were scribbled on the walls of the campus.

In an interview with PTI, Pandit said the university is taking steps to ramp up security measures on the campus to avoid instances of religious "intolerance" following the incident.

PM Modi took part in 'Swachhata Abhiyan' today at the Kalaram temple in Maharashtra's Nashik.

The PM had also appealed to everyone to carry out Swachhata activities at temples across the country.

#WATCH | PM Modi took part in 'Swachhata Abhiyan' today at the Kalaram temple in Maharashtra's Nashik 

The PM had also appealed to everyone to carry out Swachhata activities at temples across the country. pic.twitter.com/80C9nXRCI1

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal gets big relief from Supreme Court

-Supreme court upheld the high court's decision to cancel the FIR lodged against Badal and rejected the appeal of the Punjab government.

- The court asked that this is not a case where the state government should have appealed?

- A bench headed by Justice Abhay S Oka questioned the Punjab government's appeal against the august 2023 verdict of the Punjab High Court, saying that section 270 of the IPC (malignant acts which are likely to cause the spread of diseases dangerous to life) where is the evidence to show? 

- In such a situation, the supreme court is not interested in interfering in the decision of the Punjab High Court.

-Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed the FIR registered against Sukhbir Singh Badal in August 2023, saying there was no evidence on record to confirm any of the offenses stated in the FIR.

Bengaluru start-up CEO Suchana Seth, who is accused of killing her 4-year-old son, was taken for a regular medical examination by Calangute Police today. 

The Goa Police registered an FIR against Suchana Seth on Wednesday.

Investigators are still clueless about the motive of the gruesome murder -- Suchana might have suffocated her son with a pillow after giving him a high dose of cough syrup. Reports said Suchana told her friends and family members that the son reminded her of her estranged husband's face.
 

Interim Budget Session of Seventeenth Lok Sabha to he held from 31st January to 9th February, with address of Hon'ble President to the Parliament. On 1st February, Hon'ble Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the interim Unio Budget. 

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated National Youth Festival in Nashik, Maharashtra.

PM Shri @narendramodi inaugurates National Youth Festival in Nashik, Maharashtra. https://t.co/yaY5KY9onS

— BJP (@BJP4India) January 12, 2024

PM Modi said that he had called upon every citizen to clean the pilgrimage places and temples of the country by January 22 and run a cleanliness campaign. 

“Today I have the privilege of visiting Kalaram Temple and cleaning the temple premises. I will reiterate my request to the countrymen to run cleanliness campaigns in all the temples and pilgrimage areas of the country and donate their labor on the occasion of the auspicious occasion of consecration of life in the Ram temple,” he added. 

मैंने आह्वान किया था कि 22 जनवरी तक हम सभी देश के तीर्थ स्थानों की, मंदिरों की साफ सफाई करें, स्वच्छता का अभियान चलाएं।

आज मुझे कालाराम मंदिर में दर्शन करने का और मंदिर परिसर में सफाई करने का सौभाग्य मिला है।

मैं देशवासियों से अपना आग्रह फिर दोहराऊंगा कि राम मंदिर में प्राण… pic.twitter.com/KHRgiO5dpa

— BJP (@BJP4India) January 12, 2024

Nashik, Maharashtra: Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, "The image of the new India is seen when we see that we have become 5th largest economy from 10th place. After 3 months, when PM Modi will become the prime minister for the third time, we will become the 3rd largest economy within three years..."

#WATCH | Nashik, Maharashtra: Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, "The image of the new India is seen when we see that we have become 5th largest economy from 10th place. After 3 months, when PM Modi will become the prime minister for the third time, we will become the 3rd largest… pic.twitter.com/SdKiWwnIpg

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Shree Kalaram Mandir in Nashik, Maharashtra.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at Shree Kalaram Mandir in Nashik, Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/mADzM7rYpq

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tribute to Swami Vivekananda in Nashik on his birth anniversary.

#WATCH | Maharashtra | Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays floral tribute to Swami Vivekananda in Nashik on his birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/CE86fUNIQK

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024

 Supreme Court exercises suo motu jurisdiction pertaining to the dismissal of six female judges from the State of Madhya Pradesh.

As Amicus Curiae in the case, Adv. Gaurav Agarwal has been nominated.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a roadshow in Nashik, Maharashtra.
 

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a roadshow in Nashik, Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/WnZi6hPT2B

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024

PM Modi will arrived in Nashik on Friday to inaugurate the 27th National Youth Festival. He will then travel to Mumbai where he will inaugurate and travel on the longest sea bridge -Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewari - Nhava Sheva Atal Setu at 3:30 pm, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
 

India has recorded 609 new cases of Covid, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 3,368, the health ministry said on Friday.

Three deaths -- two in Kerala and one in Karnataka -- have been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but cases began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

As there are only 11 days left for Ram Temple's Pran Pratishtha, PM Modi shared an audio message. In his message, he said that he is going to start a special ritual of 11 days. 

In his message, he said, “There are only 11 days left for the consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. I am fortunate that I too will witness this auspicious occasion. The Lord has made me an instrument to represent all Indians during the consecration. Keeping this in mind I am starting a special ritual of 11 days from today. I seek blessings from all of you, the public. At this time, it is very difficult to express my feelings in words, but I have made an effort from my side.”
 

In a post on X, PM Modi paid tribute to  Swami Vivekananda. He said, “Hundreds of salutes to Swami Vivekananda, who established Indian spirituality and culture on the global stage, on the occasion of his birth anniversary and National Youth Day. His thoughts and messages, full of energy and enthusiasm, will continue to inspire the youth to do something from time to time.” (roughly translated from Hindi. 

भारतीय अध्यात्म और संस्कृति को वैश्विक पटल पर स्थापित करने वाले स्वामी विवेकानंद को उनकी जन्म-जयंती, राष्ट्रीय युवा दिवस के अवसर पर शत-शत नमन। ऊर्जा और स्फूर्ति से परिपूर्ण उनके विचार और संदेश युग-युगांतर तक युवाओं को कुछ कर गुजरने के लिए प्रेरित करते रहेंगे। pic.twitter.com/4TfuLBiKLn

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 12, 2024

The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) on Thursday announced the formation of a face-finding committee in the wake of the murder of a female first-year Dalit student in the Barsani village of Bhilwara district.

The announcement of the probe team assumes significance, as it signals the intent of the grand old party to pile early pressure on the BJP government on the issue of law and order. (With inputs from ANI) 
 

According to the India Meteorological Department, there was a lot of fog in the early morning hours in the nation's capital and the surrounding areas on Friday. At 4:30 am, visibility at the Indira Gandhi International Airport was measured as zero meters. 

Between January 12 and January 16, the IMD predicted that dense to very dense fog conditions would likely persist for a few hours in the morning in several areas of Punjab and isolated pockets in Haryana and Chandigarh.

#WATCH | Delhi: Coldwave and dense fog engulfs the National Capital

(Visuals from Shanti Path shot at 7 am) pic.twitter.com/MQXzVOOBDT

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2024

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Thursday was 5.8 degrees Celsius, which is two degrees below usual, and the maximum temperature was 18.1 degrees Celsius, which is also two degrees below normal.

Dense to very dense fog conditions were predicted for a few hours in the morning in some parts of East Uttar Pradesh and in isolated pockets over West Uttar Pradesh on January 12 and 13 and dense fog for the next three days.
 

ED raid underway at the premises of West Bengal minister and TMC leader Sujit Bose in Kolkata. Details awaited.

The Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link, often referred to as "Atal Bihari Vajpayee Smruti Sewri Nhava Sheva Atal Setu," will be officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 The Prime Minister will launch and lay the cornerstones for projects totaling over Rs 30,000 crores throughout Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Nashik, during his visit. 

In addition, he will lay the cornerstone for an underground road tunnel that will connect Marine Drive and the Eastern Freeway. 

The construction of the 9.2 km tunnel will set you back over Rs 8700 crore.