P T Usha to lead Akhand Jyoti rally commemorating 150 years of Vande Mataram in Kolkata.
A two-day commemoration will mark 150 years of Vande Mataram in Kolkata: on January 5 three motorcycle rallies of 150 riders each will start from locations tied to the composer and converge at Jorasanko Thakurbari for lighting an Akhand Jyoti and an evening cultural programme; on January 6 the Akhand Jyoti will be taken in a rally, expected to be led by P T Usha, from Jorasanko Thakurbari to Victoria Memorial for a cultural programme featuring singers performing Vande Mataram in multiple Indian languages.

Amritsar walled city: authorities relocating vendors and banning sales of meat, fish, alcohol, tobacco after holy-city designation.
Punjab has begun relocating about 150 temporary kiosks and street vendors selling liquor, meat, eggs, tobacco and other non-vegetarian items from the Amritsar walled city after declaring parts of the city a holy city and imposing a ban on sale of meat, fish, alcohol, tobacco and other intoxicants. Officials identified concentrated vendor locations across multiple gates and markets; excise licences were not issued within the walled city though some illegal liquor sales occurred. Traders warn of economic displacement affecting roughly 60,000 people and urge rehabilitation measures.

Satluj Public School's 49th annual function showcased thematic student performances and honoured participants with visiting dignitaries present.
Satluj Public School, Sector 4, Panchkula conducted its 49th annual function 'Satluj Pride 2025' over two days featuring thematic student performances emphasising national pride, cultural diversity and moral values. Distinguished guests-a diplomatic representative and a senior state law enforcement official-commended student discipline and creativity. School leadership and management acknowledged performers and honourees and identified the broader Satluj Group of Schools network. The text functions as a factual press-release record of the programme, participants, themes and institutional acknowledgements.

Uma Public School marks 25 years, reaffirming CBSE alignment, student safety measures, and co curricular and NCC training.
Uma Public School marks 25 years by reaffirming governance grounded in inclusive education and gender equality, CBSE aligned academic delivery, and operational safety measures including over 200 CCTV cameras and air conditioned transport. The institution emphasizes infrastructure-smart classrooms and specialized laboratories-and promotes co curricular excellence through professional sports coaching and structured NCC training supported by a dedicated shooting range, framing these measures as mechanisms for student welfare, discipline, and leadership development.

SME IPO of Shyam Dhani Industries drew 918x oversubscription, raising Rs. 25,308 crore, led by Holani Consultants.
Merchant banker-led structuring and placement of an SME IPO produced bids totalling Rs. 25,308.16 crore and an overall oversubscription of 918.09 times, with QIB demand at 256.24 times, NII demand at 1,612.65 times, and retail demand at 1,137.92 times (excluding anchor portion); anchor investor participation and the merchant banker's prior fundraising experience and Category 1 registration were cited as factors in execution and market access.

Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls underway in West Bengal covering 32 lakh unmapped voters.
Special Intensive Revision hearings in West Bengal target about 32 lakh unmapped voters lacking linkage to the 2002 roll; 3,234 centres and 4,500 micro-observers oversee in-person hearings with only authorised election officials present. Participants may submit any of 12 recognised identity/address documents, though Aadhaar is not acceptable as a standalone document. Electors aged 85 or above will be verified at residence. The exercise follows a draft roll deleting over 58 lakh names for reasons such as death, migration and non-submission of forms, and aims to ensure transparent and accurate revision.

Klishaa Art grows from a college dorm project to a celebrated fashion brand symbolizing women's empowerment.
Klishaa Art grew from a college dorm initiative by Shalmi without formal fashion training or industry contacts into a recognized brand through creativity, consistency, and social media visibility, achieving adoption by well-known personalities and positioning its designs as expressions of wearer identity and confidence.

Energy Insights & Innovation Lab to use data, behavioural science and AI for demand-side management and tariff design.
The Energy Insights & Innovation Lab (EIIL) will combine behavioural science, smart-meter and IoT data, advanced analytics, and energy-systems modelling to design and test scalable pilots that shift or smooth peak electricity demand, enhance grid resilience, and inform consumer flexibility programs, and the MoU contemplates support for tariff designing for regulatory approvals, integration of distributed renewables, and energy equity.

Blenders Pride Fashion Tour showcased Anamika Khanna's experimental reinterpretation of Indian craft in an immersive riverine runway production.
Blenders Pride Fashion Tour's Kolkata finale reframed Indian craftsmanship as an evolving design language by staging Anamika Khanna's AK | OK collection on a Hooghly River barge, combining deconstructed traditional techniques with futuristic tailoring and theatrical production elements; the event, produced with the Fashion Design Council of India and sponsored by Pernod Ricard India, used historic riverine venues and brand-driven narrative to position heritage craft within a commercial experiential showcase, and the release includes an attributional disclaimer regarding distribution.

Jharkhand approves PESA rules to empower gram sabhas in scheduled areas, strengthening tribal control over land and resources.
Approval of rules under the Panchayat Extension of Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act empowers gram sabhas in scheduled areas to take independent decisions over land, water, forests and cultural practices, applying to a substantial portion of the state's districts, villages and panchayats to strengthen tribal self-governance and protect customary resource rights.

Special Intensive Revision hearings in West Bengal will cover unmapped voters; limited ID accepted and fake documents punishable.
SIR hearings will begin at 3,234 centres to address about 32 lakh unmapped voters unable to link to the 2002 roll; voters may produce any of 12 recognised identity/address documents though Aadhaar will not be accepted as standalone proof. Electoral lists from a recent SIR elsewhere will be valid; submission of fake or forged documents is punishable. Over 4,500 micro-observers will supervise proceedings and only authorised election officials will be permitted at hearing centres, with no changes allowed once centres and rules are finalised.

Landowner's name removal and demolition held illegal; land must be restored and government to pay Rs20 lakh.
The removal of the petitioner's name from revenue records and resulting demolition were held illegal because no notice or hearing was afforded and an earlier decree existed, making Section 38 inapplicable. The demolition and transfer of possession were not justified under Section 67 or Supreme Court guidelines. The state must rectify records, restore possession to the petitioner, pay Rs 20 lakh costs, conduct an administrative inquiry at additional chief secretary level to identify responsible officials, and recover the costs from those officials.

Pakistan-UAE ties reinforced through substantive talks on economic cooperation, investment, energy, infrastructure, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
Pakistani and UAE leaders conducted substantive talks to deepen bilateral relations and consolidate a strategic partnership by prioritising economic cooperation, investment, energy, infrastructure, IT and people-to-people exchanges, reviewing progress in ongoing cooperation, agreeing to enhance bilateral trade, and committing to continued coordination on regional and international developments.

Navi Mumbai airport opened commercial operations, saw a sharp rise in bookings and handled about 5,000 passengers on day one.
Navi Mumbai International Airport began commercial operations on December 25, saw booked arrival load increase from 71% to 85% and departures from 83% to 98%, handled about 4,922 passengers and 48 flights on day one, and recorded roughly 5,028 passengers the next day. Initial operations run 0800-2000 with up to 24 daily departures to 13 destinations and capacity for 10 aircraft movements per hour, with phased development by a special purpose vehicle and plans to scale to round the clock service.

Special Intensive Revision hearings will call unmapped voters to present recognised identity documents; Aadhaar not accepted alone.
A Special Intensive Revision hearing phase will cover about 32 lakh unmapped voters at 3,234 hearing centres under supervision of over 4,500 micro-observers; only authorised electoral officials may attend. Voters may present any of 12 recognised identity/address documents, including Aadhaar, but Aadhaar is not acceptable as a standalone document; electoral lists from a recent SIR exercise elsewhere will be accepted and forged documents will be punishable.

India committed to repatriate economic fugitives for trial, pursuing diplomatic and legal processes to secure their return.
The government is committed to repatriating Indian nationals alleged to be economic fugitives by engaging with multiple foreign governments and pursuing diplomatic and legal processes; officials acknowledge several layers of legal complexity, and the effort targets persons sought for large loan default claims and alleged money laundering and Foreign Exchange Management violations so they can face trial domestically.

Resident doctors strike seeking reinstatement of terminated medic and demanding security protocols and impartial inquiry.
Resident doctors initiated an indefinite strike demanding reinstatement of a terminated medic, suspension of the termination order, and implementation of security protocols; an internal inquiry found both parties at fault and associations sought a transparent, time bound and impartial inquiry and administrative measures to protect health workers while emergency services remain functional.

IndiGo flight disruptions: DGCA probe panel submits report on failures to implement revised pilot rest (FDTL) norms.
A four-member regulatory inquiry panel submitted a report identifying deficiencies in operational preparedness, internal oversight, and compliance planning that contributed to massive flight cancellations after implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitations. The panel found inadequate forecasting of crew availability, insufficient training, and failure to realign rosters despite advance regulatory directions; regulatory responses had included a 10% reduction in the carrier's winter schedule and show-cause notices to senior executives.

H1B visa interview cancellations and enhanced vetting in India are causing widespread travel, work, and family disruptions.
Postponement of H 1B visa interviews in India due to enhanced vetting and social media scrutiny has led to months long rescheduling for appointments from December 15 onward, leaving many approved workers and H 4 dependents unable to return to the US for employment and causing family and educational disruptions; Indian authorities have engaged US counterparts to seek mitigation of these scheduling and processing hardships.

Punjab MSME policy aims to speed approvals and attract investments into manufacturing, agri-infrastructure and renewable energy.
The government commits to strengthening MSMEs through policy measures, simplified and time-bound regulatory processes, proactive facilitation via Invest Punjab, and ongoing stakeholder engagement to expedite approvals and implementation; initial industry responses include planned investments over Rs 400 crore across auto components, logistics and warehousing, cold chain and agri-infrastructure, and renewable energy manufacturing.