Bangladesh political violence: chargesheet filed, protests demand justice and work-permit bans amid communal attacks escalating.
Chargesheet against 17 persons alleges the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi resulted from political vengeance, triggering protests seeking justice and demands to cancel work permits of foreign nationals; concurrent reports document violence against Hindu community members, trader-organized demonstrations, claims that conditions for free and fair elections are lacking, a curfew later lifted after communal unrest, arrests for political expression at a private event, and state measures including an entry ban and a trade agreement impacting cross-border movement and commerce.

US tariffs' impact on Indian exporters assessed through sectoral consultations and interagency evaluation of mitigation measures.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce is conducting sectoral consultations and field visits to assess how higher United States tariffs affect market access for Indian marine, automotive, leather, textile and apparel exporters, and to evaluate mitigation measures taken by financial institutions, central and state governments. Interagency participation from commerce, DPIIT, textiles and MSME aims to inform coordinated responses and export-augmentation strategies in the context of India-US trade relations.

Bihar teacher recruitment paper leak: police arrest gang member amid probe of coordinated exam fraud network.
The Economic Offences Unit arrested a gang member linked to the Bihar Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE-3) paper leak; interrogation revealed that candidates were transported to receive leaked question papers in a coordinated scheme that arranged access for hundreds of aspirants for payment. The incident is part of an alleged interstate network responsible for multiple recruitment exam leaks, with the purported mastermind already in custody and related probes ongoing.

Coal India to gain over Rs 600 crore by selling 10% of BCCL through an offer for sale IPO.
Coal India will sell a 10% stake in BCCL through a 100% offer for sale at an IPO price band of Rs 21-23 per share; with a Rs 10 acquisition cost, Coal India stands to receive gross proceeds of about Rs 1,071 crore at the upper band and a net gain near Rs 605 crore. As an offer for sale, the proceeds accrue to Coal India and BCCL will not receive IPO funds.

Liquidation of JS University approved over fake degrees; records placed with Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University for certification and student protection.
The state cabinet authorised liquidation of JS University following inquiries and arrests over alleged distribution of fake degrees; an interim three tier committee will oversee student protections during the process and all university records will be placed in the custody of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra, which will certify marksheets and degrees.

Satyendar Jain defamation complaint against Karnail Singh moves forward; notice issued and offence treated as bailable.
The court took cognisance of a criminal defamation complaint, finding imputation and publication established by an admitted televised interview while the mental element remains for trial; it rejected defences premised on media verification and free speech as unsupported by official records, directed issuance of process to the accused, and noted the offence is bailable with specified bail and surety bond requirements.

Homebuyers fraud probe leads to attachment of over Rs 50 crore in assets for alleged money laundering.
Authorities invoked asset attachment under the PMLA against Ocean Seven Buildtech and its promoter for alleged diversion of funds from affordable housing projects, attaching immovable and movable assets and bank deposits totalling about Rs 51.57 crore based on allegations of arbitrary cancellations, inflated resales, forged documents and layering of proceeds.

Prolonged pretrial incarceration converts detention into punishment; right to speedy trial applies regardless of offence nature.
Prolonged pretrial incarceration that continues without commencement or reasonable progress of trial converts detention into punishment and violates the right to a speedy trial under Article 21. Economic offences are not a homogeneous class for blanket denial of bail. Where evidence is primarily documentary and trial is not imminent despite completed investigation and prolonged custody, bail may be granted subject to conditions including passport surrender and providing a contact number.

Climate activist Harjeet Singh arrested after alleged foreign funding misuse and excess liquor seizure under investigation.
Investigators searched Satat Sampada Pvt. Ltd. and its directors under FEMA, alleging receipt of over Rs 6 crore in foreign remittances booked as consultancy and agro sales revenue, that the company served as a front to channel funds for FF NPT narrative activities, and that shareholders diverted foreign funds to personal accounts, triggering a financial trail investigation for potential foreign exchange contraventions and misuse of funds.

FTA with India to expand market access and a USD 20 billion FDI commitment to boost exports and investment.
A concluded Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and India creates a bilateral framework to expand market access and stimulate investment, including a USD 20 billion FDI commitment over 15 years, aimed at boosting exports, supporting farmers and businesses, and enabling trade diversification.

Khichdi Mela at Gorakhnath temple begins preparations; main festival on January 15 with large-scale offerings.
Preparations for the annual Khichdi Mela at Gorakhnath temple are complete; the fair begins ahead of Makar Sankranti, runs for over a month, and the principal Khichdi festival will be observed on January 15. The festival combines ritual, entertainment and substantial local employment, draws devotees from nearby regions and Nepal, and features the first offering by the Gorakshpeethadheeshwar and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, with khichdi also sent by Nepal's royal family. Grains collected at the temple are distributed year round to the needy.

Delhi NCR air pollution plans will undergo monthly ministerial review with targeted action and enforcement measures.
Monthly ministerial reviews are required for state action plans to control Delhi NCR air pollution, with sector wise targeted plans assigning clear execution responsibility. States must prepare plans in advance for timely implementation. Key operational measures include priority electric bus procurement and charging infrastructure, city specific road redevelopment, truck parking plans, deployment of Mechanical Road Sweeping Machines, roadside greening with local species, legacy waste liquidation and municipal waste segregation with community involvement, and immediate closure notices for industrial units without Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems coupled with awareness campaigns.

Morbi ceramic cluster drives India's ceramic exports-80-90% share-and is being upgraded with state incentives and technology.
Morbi district accounts for approximately 80-90% of India's ceramic exports (about Rs 15,000 crore in 2024-25), with roughly 1,200 units producing about 60 lakh tonnes annually and employing around 9 lakh people. The state is showcasing the cluster's advanced products and Ceramics Park at VGRC and strengthening it through technology upgradation, automation, renewable energy adoption, waste recycling, logistics support, and industrial incentives totaling over Rs 115 crore to more than 2,200 beneficiaries.

India imported large volumes of discounted Russian oil despite sanctions; some refiners halted purchases after new US measures.
India became a major purchaser of discounted Russian crude and coal after February 2022, buying approximately 162.5 billion in fossil fuels through January 2026; continued trade was enabled by price discounts, a growing shadow fleet, and sales via non sanctioned entities despite G7 and EU restrictions, while recent US secondary sanctions led some major Indian refiners to pause purchases from sanctioned exporters but other refiners continue buying.

Mumbai manifesto promises air quality improvement and universal health cards for free medicines, plus affordable housing and transparent governance.
The manifesto commits to improving air quality and instituting a universal health card for free medicines, expanding municipal healthcare with new multi speciality hospitals and strengthened primary health centres, while promising transparent civic governance, anti-corruption measures, improved core services and fair redevelopment with affordable housing and a five percent budget allocation for SC and ST welfare.

Gold jumps to Rs 1,41,500 per 10g in Delhi as global cues, softer dollar and geopolitical risks lift bullion.
Gold in Delhi rose by Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,41,500 per 10 grams and silver by Rs 7,000 to Rs 2,51,000 per kilogram, driven by firmer international bullion where spot gold reached USD 4,460.49/oz and spot silver USD 78.36/oz. The gains were linked to a softer US dollar, dovish Federal Reserve commentary signalling potential rate cuts, and heightened geopolitical risks related to recent US actions in Venezuela.

Tea garden workers face unpaid wages and alleged land diversion; leaders demand state action and voter inclusion.
Allegations of systemic neglect: tea garden workers reportedly unpaid for months, gardens closed or in critical condition, and the West Bengal Labour Department failing to act. Claims that the state permitted sale of 25% of tea garden land for commercial use, threatening industry viability, and that central welfare funds aided Assam's workers but not those in West Bengal. BJP leaders demand release of pending salaries, protection of worker welfare, and inclusion of tea garden workers on the voter list, with planned outreach to affected areas.

X's Grok AI must remove obscene AI-generated content, strengthen safeguards, and submit a detailed compliance report.
Government directed X to remove obscene, pornographic and otherwise unlawful AI-generated content from Grok, require a comprehensive review of technical, procedural and governance safeguards, enforce user terms with deterrent sanctions, and submit an Action Taken Report detailing technical and organisational measures, Chief Compliance Officer oversight, actions against offending content and accounts, and mechanisms to ensure ongoing, auditable compliance with due diligence obligations; failure to comply may result in loss of intermediary exemption and consequential legal action.

Malnutrition: link CSR spending with targeted nutrition programmes, a whole-of-government push for last-mile delivery and early-childhood interventions.
The government urges linking the statutory 2% Corporate Social Responsibility spending with targeted nutrition programmes via institutional platforms such as the NDDB Foundation for Nutrition, using a whole-of-government approach and inter-ministerial coordination to ensure affordability, local participation, transparency and last-mile delivery, with priority interventions focused on pregnancy and early childhood to prevent stunting and underweight conditions.

Grand Challenge 2025 spotlights student startups; Novyte wins Best Student Startup for AI-driven materials discovery.
Grand Challenge 2025 selected 13 student-led startups from nearly 1,500 applications, awarded Novyte Best Student Startup, and channels partner support-capital, cloud infrastructure, mentorship, and institutional backing-to accelerate early-stage student ventures across AI, deeptech, climate, healthcare, consumer, mobility, and industrial sectors.