German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's India visit to prioritize boosting trade, investment, technology and defence cooperation.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's two day India visit will prioritize intensifying bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, defence, technology, education and mobility under the framework of Inter-Governmental Consultations, with business engagement and a review of the Indo German green hydrogen roadmap to advance energy, sustainability and commercial ties.

National Environmental Standard Laboratory establishes domestic certification and calibration for air pollution monitoring equipment to enhance regulatory compliance.
Designation of CSIR-NPL's National Environmental Standard Laboratory establishes domestic testing, calibration and certification for air pollution monitoring equipment, providing traceable performance verification for instruments such as OCEMS and CAAQMS, reducing reliance on foreign certification, shortening calibration turnaround, and supporting enforcement of air quality programmes through India-specific measurement standards.

Indore water contamination outbreak spurred mass household survey, distribution of purification kits and hospital referrals for affected residents.
Outbreak of diarrhoeal illness linked to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura, Indore prompted an emergency public health response: 38 new cases and seven reported deaths, 110 patients in hospital, clinical referrals and free treatment were provided. The health department deployed around 200 multidisciplinary teams to conduct a real time household survey using the Kobo tool, visited 2,745 households, distributed ORS, zinc and a clean water dropper, and implemented IEC activities to ensure access to chlorinated drinking water and advise on purification and hygiene.

US tariff threat prompts Congress to accuse Modi of bowing to Trump, citing 'Mogambo khush hua' comment.
The article reports a US tariff threat-Washington can raise tariffs on India "very quickly" over its Russian oil purchases-and the Indian opposition's response accusing the Prime Minister of bowing to US pressure, invoking the phrase "Mogambo khush hua" to characterise the US President's remarks and urging a stronger defence of national trade autonomy.

Canadian business delegation explores Uttar Pradesh investment opportunities amid digital governance and investor-friendly policies and support.
A Canadian business delegation was briefed on the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly's digital modernisation, the e Vidhan system, and governance reforms, and engaged with Invest UP on sectoral investment opportunities, land availability, investor facilitation, incentives under over 34 policies, MSME support, and the One District One Product initiative to promote trade and investment.

Mumbai civic polls see 25% fewer candidates, more women than men, and major party alliances reshaping contests.
Mumbai civic elections to the BMC show a 25.27% decline in candidates from 2017, leaving 1,700 candidates (879 women, 821 men) for 227 seats after nomination scrutiny and withdrawals; no transgender candidate was nominated and counting is set for January 16.

Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Rajkot to be inaugurated to attract investment through MoUs and incentive outreach.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Rajkot Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference on January 11, one of four regional events organised to attract investment ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. The VGRC programme will promote investment through MoUs, showcase state industrial policies, and distribute incentive assistance and approval letters to industrialists; Rajkot's event will prioritise sectors such as ceramics, engineering, ports and logistics, fisheries, petrochemicals, agro and food processing, minerals, green energy, skills, startups, MSMEs and tourism, supported by district-level outreach and coordination meetings.

Border trade reopening: a 13-member business committee will negotiate immediate reopening of crossings and trade routes.
A 13-member joint committee of business leaders, comprising six Pakistani and seven Afghan representatives, will formally negotiate immediate reopening of border trade routes, removal of border-management obstacles, and continuity of bilateral trade; the committee has been granted full decision-making authority to formulate a comprehensive roadmap and address reopening of key crossings such as Torkham.

Jammu and Kashmir hydropower projects: minister ordered sediment removal and set commissioning deadlines for Pakal Dul, Kiru, Kwar.
The minister directed NHPC to expedite sediment removal at Salal reservoir following termination of the Indus Waters Treaty and set commissioning deadlines for Chenab Valley projects: Pakal Dul and Kiru by December 2026 and Kwar by March 2028, after receiving detailed briefings and conducting site inspections.

Venezuela oil industry seizure prompts sharp gains in U.S. energy stocks amid hopes of renewed investment and output recovery.
U.S. executive action to seize operational control of Venezuela's oil industry and enable American companies to rehabilitate assets prompted sharp rises in energy and oilfield service stocks amid expectations of renewed investment and expanded output, while analysts warned political, legal and infrastructure risks plus weak global prices could delay meaningful recovery despite strategic demand for Venezuela's heavy crude.

Delhi and RBI agree to RBI banking, automatic surplus investment and State Development Loans for capital projects.
The MoU appoints the RBI as banker, debt manager and financial agent for Delhi, providing integration into RBI banking systems, automatic daily investment of surplus cash, access to Ways and Means Advances and Special Drawing Facilities, and market borrowings via State Development Loans for capital expenditure focused on Yamuna rejuvenation, water supply, health infrastructure and transport.

Runway cleaning vehicles handed to Noida airport, designed to remove metal debris, vacuum dust and clear algae.
The airport received locally assembled runway cleaning vehicles developed by a domestic firm with a foreign technology collaborator, claimed as the first indigenous machines; they remove nails and sharp metal fragments, vacuum dust, and clear algae to mitigate risks to aircraft tyres and landing skids. Production was undertaken under a national manufacturing initiative, and the state's industrial policy was cited as providing targeted assistance and incentives for quality certification and export development.

Delhi riots bail applications and customs duty on SEZ-generated power addressed, court distinguished participation and revisited duty liability.
The Supreme Court distinguished levels of alleged involvement in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy, describing a hierarchy of participation and finding prosecution material indicating planning, mobilisation and strategic direction by certain activists. Separately, the Court revisited the legal characterisation of customs duty on electrical energy generated in a special economic zone and supplied to the domestic tariff area, departing from prior high court analysis and affecting the approach to customs liability for such SEZ-DTA supplies.

Artificial intelligence and deep tech policy discussions stressed cooperative federalism, policy certainty and inclusive AI deployment for grassroots impact.
Summit discussions emphasised cooperative federalism and policy certainty to drive digital transformation, with state leaders outlining reforms to improve ease of doing business and attract long term capital. Panels focused on governance and implementation of AI and deep tech-advocating cautious promotion to reach grassroots areas, expanding AI skills for youth, and fostering deep tech collaboration-while highlighting targeted institutional support and credit access to formalise and scale women led entrepreneurship.

ED searches a Delhi NCR climate NGO under FEMA over alleged misuse of foreign funds purportedly labelled as consultancy fees.
Authorities conducted searches at a Delhi NCR climate NGO's office, an associated business store and two residences under FEMA to investigate the end use of foreign exchange received as consultancy charges from offshore NGOs and other groups, amid allegations those funds were used to influence government policy rather than the declared purposes.

VB-G RAM G Act increases rural employment guarantee to 125 days and requires wages within seven days with delay compensation.
The VB-G RAM G Act increases the statutory wage employment guarantee to 125 days per financial year, requires wages to be paid within seven days with compensation for delays, allows up to 60 days suspension of work for sowing and harvesting to protect agricultural labour availability, and prioritises works in water security, rural infrastructure, disaster resilience and livelihood enhancement while instituting transparency measures to prevent misuse and ensure benefits reach genuine workers.

Mamata Banerjee to challenge electoral roll revision in court over alleged arbitrary deletions and human suffering.
Mamata Banerjee will legally challenge the Election Commission's Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls, alleging administrative arbitrariness, opaque digital processes and use of artificial intelligence that led to widespread deletions, inadequate opportunity to respond, disregard for government-issued documents, coercive hearings of vulnerable persons, and resultant human suffering; she seeks judicial relief, including permission to approach the Supreme Court as an ordinary citizen, challenging the SIR's procedural implementation, compressed timetable, and evidentiary treatment of documentation.

Skill development centres in Uttar Mumbai to provide free future-focused training, placement support and create over 35,000 jobs.
Establishment of six skill development centres across Uttar Mumbai, with one centre already functional in Kandivali East and others planned for Thakur Village and Shimpoli, offering industry-aligned, job-ready training, free instruction in future-focused skills, direct placement support, and career counselling, with an expected creation of over 35,000 jobs within 14 months.

Indian rupee weakens amid geopolitical uncertainty and capital outflows, closing at 90.30 per dollar on Monday.
Indian currency declined to 90.30 against the US dollar after four straight sessions of weakness, driven by increased safe haven dollar demand from geopolitical risk, foreign capital outflows that pressured domestic equities, and technical levels with resistance near 90.45 and support around 89.90, while RBI data showed a concurrent rise in forex reserves.

China and South Korea pledge deeper trade ties and joint efforts to safeguard regional stability amid missile tests.
China and South Korea pledged to strengthen economic ties and safeguard regional stability, committing to enhanced trade and cooperation while seeking to minimise past misunderstandings. The visit occurred amid North Korea's ballistic and hypersonic missile tests and rising China-neighbour frictions, and the leaders oversaw the signing of 15 cooperation agreements in technology, trade, transportation and environmental protection alongside business accords in consumer goods, agriculture, biotechnology and entertainment.