States

On January 3, PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the “Lotus Light: Relics of the Awakened One” exposition in Delhi, showcasing the sacred Piprahwa Relics and associated antiquities, highlighting India’s Buddhist heritage, cultural preservation, and the universal values of peace and compassion

Fresh snowfall hit higher reaches of Kashmir, including Gulmarg, Gurez, and Macchil, while temperatures remain unusually warm, 3–7°C above seasonal averages. The MeT forecasts light to moderate rain/snow over most areas in the next 24 hours

Gaushalas in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have stopped using vulture-toxic veterinary drugs, helping stabilize populations of critically endangered long-billed vultures. Safe carcass disposal and alternative medicines like meloxicam support conservation, public health, and gradual recovery of these essential scavengers

A 25-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped in a moving van and thrown onto a road in Faridabad, sustaining serious head injuries. Police arrested two suspects from UP and MP after they lured the victim with a lift on Monday night

A proxy candidate, Lakhai Ghosh, was caught attempting to appear for the Kolkata Police Sub-Inspector exam on behalf of Abdul Khaleque. Police are investigating potential financial arrangements and a wider proxy recruitment racket in Murshidabad and Kolkata

BJP criticized West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for allegedly threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his Kolkata visit, calling her rule “tanasahi.” Party leaders also accused TMC of past attacks on BJP activists and undermining democracy in the state

Three convicted prisoners escaped from Hazaribagh’s Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan Central Jail, triggering a massive manhunt. Despite high-security measures, authorities are searching the jail and surrounding areas, alerting neighboring districts, and investigating possible lapses in one of Jharkhand’s most secure prisons

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi participated in Bargarh’s Dhanu Jatra, presenting 123 development projects worth Rs 1,362 crore at King Kansa’s symbolic court. He announced new projects, lauded women and farmers’ schemes, and emphasized the festival’s cultural and economic significance

Kerala police arrested 25-year-old Roshidul Islam from Assam for allegedly spreading extremist content online and promoting religious hatred. He reportedly had international contacts and attempted to procure AK-47 rifles from Pakistan. Investigation is ongoing in Thrissur’s Kaipamangalam area

Residents in Indore allege eight deaths from vomiting and diarrhoea due to contaminated water, while authorities confirm three. The Madhya Pradesh government announced compensation, suspended officials, ordered a probe, and cited pipeline leakage as cause opposition accusations of concealment persist

An NIA court in Guwahati sentenced Md Kamruj Zaman to life imprisonment for raising a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen module in Assam during 2017-18. He recruited members for terror activities; sentences run concurrently with fines, while co-accused earlier pleaded guilty, officials said Wednesday

Lokayukta arrested a Special Public Prosecutor in Kalaburagi for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes to argue better in an SC/ST atrocities case. The advocate was caught red-handed receiving Rs 25,000 after earlier payments, following a complaint from a Telangana resident

A 14-year-old Class 9 student was found dead at her home in Beed district’s Tambwa village. Police are probing the December 28 incident, with the cause unknown, after completing formalities and sending the body for post-mortem as investigation continues officially 

Dehradun Police said their probe into the death of Tripura student Anjel Chakma has found no evidence of racial abuse so far, stating the assault followed a dispute over banter at a liquor shop, even as the victim’s family alleges racial slurs

Kerala’s Sabarimala gold heist probe intensified as CPI-M leader and former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran was questioned by SIT. The investigation now includes additional officers amid political pressure and opposition allegations of shielding senior leaders

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked Union Home Minister Amit Shah, likening him to ‘Dushasan’ and demanding his resignation over alleged failure to curb subversive activities. She rejected accusations on infiltration, accusing the Centre of unfairly targeting Bengal ahead of Assembly elections

Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of abetting Bangladeshi infiltration, alleging demographic changes, corruption and lawlessness, and asserted that the BJP would form a government with a two-thirds majority after the 2026 Assembly elections

Assam and Tripura police arrested 11 individuals linked to Bangladesh-based fundamentalist groups, including the Indian Mujahideen-K, for allegedly planning to destabilize the Northeast and establish "Muslim supremacy," based on intelligence from central agencies, officials said

In Uttarakhand’s Almora district, a bus carrying 18–19 passengers fell into a gorge in Bhikiyasain, killing seven and injuring 12, including the driver. Police and SDRF teams conducted rescue operations, while Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief

In Palakkad, a 30-year-old man, Vipin, was tied to an electric post and beaten over a financial dispute. Two friends, Sreekesh and Girish, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Police registered the case after a formal complaint

A couple from Thane, Maharashtra, lost Rs 21.9 lakh to cyber fraudsters posing as share trading advisers on a WhatsApp group. Police have registered an FIR under the IT Act and cheating charges, and an investigation is underway

North East Students’ Organisation demanded capital punishment for those accused in the killing of Tripura student Angel Chakma in Dehradun, alleging racial motivation. NESO sought Uttarakhand CM’s intervention, special police mechanisms and a stringent anti-racism law to protect people from the Northeast

Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu flagged off the inaugural flight of HAL’s next-generation Dhruv NG civil helicopter in Bengaluru. Designed for global civil aviation needs, the indigenous multi-role helicopter offers enhanced safety, performance, comfort and cost-effective operations across diverse terrains

Residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district are split over a khap panchayat diktat banning smartphones and half-pants for under-18s and opposing banquet hall weddings. While some leaders support preserving social values, historians and activists have criticised the move as impractical and unconstitutional