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Lohri is celebrated annually on January 13, marking the end of winter and the arrival of the rabi harvest season. It is widely celebrated harvest festivals of North India, which include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, with joy, gratitude, warmth, and fresh beginnings.&nbsp;On this day, people, including children, across India enjoy their holiday after they get a break from offices and schools. But several states neither celebrate nor get a break in their work or educational places. However, it is not a nationally gazetted holiday in India, but it is a public holiday in specific northern states. In this article, we will explore and try to determine which state in India will have a holiday to celebrate Lohri 2026.<h3>Lohri holidays in Punjab and Haryana</h3>Lohri holds major cultural importance in Punjab and Haryana, where it is observed as a compulsory public holiday for schools and offices. In 2026, students are expected to get time off to take part in traditional celebrations such as bonfires and kite flying.<h3>Winter break in Delhi and NCR</h3>Schools in Delhi and the NCR usually observe winter holidays in early January. Owing to harsh cold conditions, the break may be extended to include Lohri, with many government schools likely to remain closed until January 15 to accommodate Lohri and Makar Sankranti.<h3>Pongal and Makar Sankranti break in South India</h3>In southern states, Makar Sankranti is widely celebrated as Pongal, particularly in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka generally announce multi-day school closures for the four-day harvest festival. Final dates will be confirmed in the 2026 academic calendars issued by state education departments.<h3>State-wise school holiday overview (January 2026)</h3><ul><li>Punjab: Lohri/Maghi (Jan 13–14) – Full public holiday</li><li>Haryana: Lohri/Makar Sankranti (Jan 13–14) – Major state holiday</li><li>Tamil Nadu: Pongal/Thiruvalluvar Day (Jan 15–17) – State holiday</li><li>Gujarat: Uttarayan/Makar Sankranti (Jan 15) – Major local festival</li><li>Andhra Pradesh: Bhogi/Kanuma (Jan 13, 14, 16) – Fixed state holiday</li><li>Telangana: Bhogi/Makar Sankranti (Jan 13–14) – Fixed state holiday</li><li>Assam: Magh Bihu (Jan 14–15) – Fixed state holiday</li><li>Delhi &amp; NCR: Lohri/Makar Sankranti (Jan 13–15) – Usually part of winter break</li><li>Maharashtra: Makar Sankranti (Jan 14) – Restricted or optional holiday</li><li>Karnataka: Makar Sankranti/Bhogi (Jan 14–15) – Regional or bank holiday</li></ul>Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/lohri-2026-7-lesser-known-rituals-and-customs-behind-the-bonfire-celebrations-1768225084752"> Lohri 2026: 7 lesser-known rituals and customs behind the bonfire celebrations</a>

Schools in Delhi and the NCR usually observe winter holidays in early January. Owing to harsh cold conditions, the break may be extended to include Lohri, with many government schools likely to remain closed until January 15 to accommodate Lohri and Makar Sankranti.

Lohri is celebrated annually on January 13, marking the end of winter and the arrival of the rabi harvest season. It is widely celebrated harvest festivals of North India, which include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi, with joy, gratitude, warmth, and fresh beginnings. On this day, people, including children, across India enjoy their holiday after they get a break from offices and schools. But several states neither celebrate nor get a break in their work or educational places. However, it is not a nationally gazetted holiday in India, but it is a public holiday in specific northern states. In this article, we will explore and try to determine which state in India will have a holiday to celebrate Lohri 2026. Lohri holidays in Punjab and Haryana Lohri holds major cultural importance in Punjab and Haryana, where it is observed as a compulsory public holiday for schools and offices. In 2026, students are expected to get time off to take part in traditional celebrations such as bonfires and kite flying. Winter break in Delhi and NCR Schools in Delhi and the NCR usually observe winter holidays in early January. Owing to harsh cold conditions, the break may be extended to include Lohri, with many government schools likely to remain closed until January 15 to accommodate Lohri and Makar Sankranti. Pongal and Makar Sankranti break in South India In southern states, Makar Sankranti is widely celebrated as Pongal, particularly in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka generally announce multi-day school closures for the four-day harvest festival. Final dates will be confirmed in the 2026 academic calendars issued by state education departments. State-wise school holiday overview (January 2026) Punjab: Lohri/Maghi (Jan 13–14) – Full public holiday Haryana: Lohri/Makar Sankranti (Jan 13–14) – Major state holiday Tamil Nadu: Pongal/Thiruvalluvar Day (Jan 15–17) – State holiday Gujarat: Uttarayan/Makar Sankranti (Jan 15) – Major local festival Andhra Pradesh: Bhogi/Kanuma (Jan 13, 14, 16) – Fixed state holiday Telangana: Bhogi/Makar Sankranti (Jan 13–14) – Fixed state holiday Assam: Magh Bihu (Jan 14–15) – Fixed state holiday Delhi & NCR: Lohri/Makar Sankranti (Jan 13–15) – Usually part of winter break Maharashtra: Makar Sankranti (Jan 14) – Restricted or optional holiday Karnataka: Makar Sankranti/Bhogi (Jan 14–15) – Regional or bank holiday Also read: Lohri 2026: 7 lesser-known rituals and customs behind the bonfire celebrations

Schools in Delhi and the NCR usually observe winter holidays in early January. Owing to harsh cold conditions, the break may be extended to include Lohri, with many government schools likely to remain closed until January 15 to accommodate Lohri and Makar Sankranti.

Is Lohri 2026 a public holiday in India? State-wise list revealed-Check inside

Lohri is among the most widely celebrated harvest festivals of North India, which include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. It is celebrated annually on January 13, marking the end of winter and the arrival of the rabi harvest season. Lohri is widely observed as a celebration of joy, gratitude, warmth, and fresh beginnings. Based on the Drik Panchang, the timing of the Lohri is at 3:13 PM on January 14, but the traditional celebrations, the dancing, singing, and bonfires take place on the evening of the 13th.<h3>7 lesser-known traditions behind the bonfire festival</h3><ol><li>Lohri goddess idol from cow dung</li></ol>In some rural Punjab villages, families craft small idols of the Lohri goddess using gobar (cow dung) mixed with straw. These are placed at the bonfire base, symbolising fertility and earth connection. Lit with wood at dusk, the idol burns as an offering to Agni, the fire god, expressing gratitude for the harvest and invoking protection for the coming year. This eco‑friendly ritual underscores Lohri’s agrarian roots.​2. Pouring milk and water around the fire&nbsp;Hindus perform a specific ritual of pouring milk and water in a circle around the bonfire. This act thanks the Sun God (Surya) for longer days and seeks blessings for health and prosperity. Milk symbolises purity and nourishment, while water quenches the fire’s symbolic “thirst,” balancing the elements. Participants chant prayers during this, blending devotion with nature worship.​3. Singing Dulla Bhatti folk songs&nbsp;Children and women sing Boliyaan praising Dulla Bhatti, a 16th‑century rebel who robbed the rich to help poor girls marry. Lyrics recount his heroism, like freeing brides from Mughal oppressors. Sung while circling the bonfire, these songs pass down oral history and social justice themes, making Lohri a festival of resistance and community memory.​4. Til, gur and rewri offerings&nbsp;Beyond popcorn, sesame seeds (til), jaggery (gur), rewri (sesame brittle) and sugarcane are ritually tossed into the flames. Til represents oil for lamps (knowledge), gur sweetness in life, rewri unity (sticky clusters), and sugarcane prosperity. These offerings purify the soul, share abundance and ward off evil, tying Lohri to Vedic fire rituals.​5. Village square pyramid bonfire&nbsp;Urban celebrations often use gas, but traditional village mehfil builds a pyramid of dry twigs, cow‑dung cakes and logs inside a brick enclosure garlanded with marigolds. Lit at sunset in the main square, it draws the entire community for song, dance and prasad distribution, reinforcing social bonds and collective identity.​6. Newborn and bride blessings&nbsp;Newlyweds and families with newborns receive special Lohri prasad (peanuts, gajak, popcorn). Elders bless infants for health and couples for fertility, circling them around the fire. This rite invokes divine favour for family continuity, linking personal milestones to the harvest cycle and communal well‑being.​7. Jhumar and gidda folk dances&nbsp;While bhangra dominates, women perform gidda (clapping circles) and jhumar (tribal stick dance) around the fire. These lesser‑seen dances celebrate rural life, with lyrics about crops, love and seasons. Accompanied by dhol, they preserve pre‑Partition cultural expressions unique to Punjab’s Doabi and Majhi dialects.&nbsp;Also read:&nbsp;

Lohri is widely observed as a celebration of joy, gratitude, warmth, and fresh beginnings. Based on the Drik Panchang, the timing of the Lohri is at 3:13 PM on January 14, but the traditional celebrations, the dancing, singing, and bonfires take place on the evening of the 13th.

Lohri is among the most widely celebrated harvest festivals of North India, which include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. It is celebrated annually on January 13, marking the end of winter and the arrival of the rabi harvest season. Lohri is widely observed as a celebration of joy, gratitude, warmth, and fresh beginnings. Based on the Drik Panchang, the timing of the Lohri is at 3:13 PM on January 14, but the traditional celebrations, the dancing, singing, and bonfires take place on the evening of the 13th. 7 lesser-known traditions behind the bonfire festival Lohri goddess idol from cow dung In some rural Punjab villages, families craft small idols of the Lohri goddess using gobar (cow dung) mixed with straw. These are placed at the bonfire base, symbolising fertility and earth connection. Lit with wood at dusk, the idol burns as an offering to Agni, the fire god, expressing gratitude for the harvest and invoking protection for the coming year. This eco‑friendly ritual underscores Lohri’s agrarian roots. 2. Pouring milk and water around the fire Hindus perform a specific ritual of pouring milk and water in a circle around the bonfire. This act thanks the Sun God (Surya) for longer days and seeks blessings for health and prosperity. Milk symbolises purity and nourishment, while water quenches the fire’s symbolic “thirst,” balancing the elements. Participants chant prayers during this, blending devotion with nature worship. 3. Singing Dulla Bhatti folk songs Children and women sing Boliyaan praising Dulla Bhatti, a 16th‑century rebel who robbed the rich to help poor girls marry. Lyrics recount his heroism, like freeing brides from Mughal oppressors. Sung while circling the bonfire, these songs pass down oral history and social justice themes, making Lohri a festival of resistance and community memory. 4. Til, gur and rewri offerings Beyond popcorn, sesame seeds (til), jaggery (gur), rewri (sesame brittle) and sugarcane are ritually tossed into the flames. Til represents oil for lamps (knowledge), gur sweetness in life, rewri unity (sticky clusters), and sugarcane prosperity. These offerings purify the soul, share abundance and ward off evil, tying Lohri to Vedic fire rituals. 5. Village square pyramid bonfire Urban celebrations often use gas, but traditional village mehfil builds a pyramid of dry twigs, cow‑dung cakes and logs inside a brick enclosure garlanded with marigolds. Lit at sunset in the main square, it draws the entire community for song, dance and prasad distribution, reinforcing social bonds and collective identity. 6. Newborn and bride blessings Newlyweds and families with newborns receive special Lohri prasad (peanuts, gajak, popcorn). Elders bless infants for health and couples for fertility, circling them around the fire. This rite invokes divine favour for family continuity, linking personal milestones to the harvest cycle and communal well‑being. 7. Jhumar and gidda folk dances While bhangra dominates, women perform gidda (clapping circles) and jhumar (tribal stick dance) around the fire. These lesser‑seen dances celebrate rural life, with lyrics about crops, love and seasons. Accompanied by dhol, they preserve pre‑Partition cultural expressions unique to Punjab’s Doabi and Majhi dialects. Also read:

Lohri is widely observed as a celebration of joy, gratitude, warmth, and fresh beginnings. Based on the Drik Panchang, the timing of the Lohri is at 3:13 PM on January 14, but the traditional celebrations, the dancing, singing, and bonfires take place on the evening of the 13th.

Lohri 2026: 7 lesser-known rituals and customs behind the bonfire celebrations

Fear and panic gripped parts of Rajasthan's Alwar city on Monday morning (Jan 12) after a bomb like object fitted with a timer fell from a man's shawl during an altercation, police said. A team of Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), accompanied Bomb disposal squad from the state's capital Jaipur deployed at the site to examine the object. According to police, a bomb-like object, fitted with a timer, was found near a house in Vivaknand Nagar sector-4, under the jurisdiction of Aravali Vihar police station. The discovery prompted an immediate police response and sealing of the surrounding area. After securing the area, cops shifted the suspicious object to Jaisamand dam, located around 6.5 kilometres from the city, imposing restrictions on the movement of people in the area. The entire area surrounding the dam was cordoned off as a precautionary measure. The bomb disposal squad destroyed the object by triggering a controlled blast. The explosion sounded like a firecracker without causing any damage. The squad confirmed no explosive material was found inside the object.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-german-chancellor-merz-share-car-ride-vow-to-deepen-strategic-ties-india-germany-european-union-car-ride-1768216724311">PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz share car ride; vow to deepen ties in strategic sectors</a>&nbsp;The object was deliberately designed to resemble a time bomb, the police said, adding that there is no threat to the safety of citizens from the object, restoring calm in the locality.&nbsp;A local resident, near whose house the object was discovered, said a suspicious youth entered his home early in the morning, leading to a scuffle. During the altercation, a bomb-like object fell from the youth’s shawl.<h2>Bomb rumour turns out to be fake</h2>Police confirmed that the bomb threat was false and the recovered object was more like a toy to trigger fear among the residents, while the probe is underway to identify the suspect and ascertain the motive.

Police confirmed that the bomb threat was false and the recovered object was more like a toy to trigger fear among the residents, while the probe is underway to identify the suspect and ascertain the motive.

Fear and panic gripped parts of Rajasthan's Alwar city on Monday morning (Jan 12) after a bomb like object fitted with a timer fell from a man's shawl during an altercation, police said. A team of Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), accompanied Bomb disposal squad from the state's capital Jaipur deployed at the site to examine the object. According to police, a bomb-like object, fitted with a timer, was found near a house in Vivaknand Nagar sector-4, under the jurisdiction of Aravali Vihar police station. The discovery prompted an immediate police response and sealing of the surrounding area. After securing the area, cops shifted the suspicious object to Jaisamand dam, located around 6.5 kilometres from the city, imposing restrictions on the movement of people in the area. The entire area surrounding the dam was cordoned off as a precautionary measure. The bomb disposal squad destroyed the object by triggering a controlled blast. The explosion sounded like a firecracker without causing any damage. The squad confirmed no explosive material was found inside the object. Also Read: PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz share car ride; vow to deepen ties in strategic sectors The object was deliberately designed to resemble a time bomb, the police said, adding that there is no threat to the safety of citizens from the object, restoring calm in the locality. A local resident, near whose house the object was discovered, said a suspicious youth entered his home early in the morning, leading to a scuffle. During the altercation, a bomb-like object fell from the youth’s shawl. Bomb rumour turns out to be fake Police confirmed that the bomb threat was false and the recovered object was more like a toy to trigger fear among the residents, while the probe is underway to identify the suspect and ascertain the motive.

Police confirmed that the bomb threat was false and the recovered object was more like a toy to trigger fear among the residents, while the probe is underway to identify the suspect and ascertain the motive.

Bomb-like object with timer triggers panic in Rajasthan’s Alwar

Several parts of north India are continuing to experience extreme cold as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cold wave warning for the next few days. The alert covers Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), as well as Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. According to the IMD bulletin issued on Sunday (January 11), cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh. Areas such as Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and parts of Saurashtra and Kutch may also see cold wave conditions on Monday (January 12).&nbsp;The cold spell is expected to continue on Tuesday (January 13) in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and western Uttar Pradesh. Jharkhand may experience cold wave conditions till Thursday. In an unusual situation, temperatures in the plains have dropped below those in hill stations. While Shimla is expected to record a minimum temperature of around 9°C, Delhi’s minimum temperature could fall to as low as 3–4°C. Maximum temperatures in Delhi are likely to remain between 18–20°C.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/raghav-chadha-turns-blinkit-delivery-rider-for-a-day-drops-teaser-1768219736962">Raghav Chadha turns Blinkit delivery rider for a day, drops teaser</a>&nbsp;The IMD has not issued any fresh warnings for hill districts like Shimla and Kullu for the rest of the week. However, Delhi may continue to experience cold wave conditions for the next two days, followed by partly cloudy skies. The weather department has also warned of dense fog in several regions. Dense fog is likely in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim. These foggy conditions may persist till January 15.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/court-order-blocks-msvpg-digital-reviews-to-stop-bots-1768220453682/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/court-order-blocks-msvpg-digital-reviews-to-stop-bots-1768220453682/embed</a>&nbsp;IMD has warned that cold wave conditions can affect health, agriculture, transport, and power supply. People are advised to stay warm, avoid prolonged exposure to cold, and take precautions.

Winter is coming! IMD issues cold wave and dense fog alert for Delhi-NCR. Here's what the forecast says

Several parts of north India are continuing to experience extreme cold as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a cold wave warning for the next few days. The alert covers Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), as well as Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. According to the IMD bulletin issued on Sunday (January 11), cold wave to severe cold wave conditions are very likely at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh. Areas such as Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and parts of Saurashtra and Kutch may also see cold wave conditions on Monday (January 12). The cold spell is expected to continue on Tuesday (January 13) in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and western Uttar Pradesh. Jharkhand may experience cold wave conditions till Thursday. In an unusual situation, temperatures in the plains have dropped below those in hill stations. While Shimla is expected to record a minimum temperature of around 9°C, Delhi’s minimum temperature could fall to as low as 3–4°C. Maximum temperatures in Delhi are likely to remain between 18–20°C. Also Read: Raghav Chadha turns Blinkit delivery rider for a day, drops teaser The IMD has not issued any fresh warnings for hill districts like Shimla and Kullu for the rest of the week. However, Delhi may continue to experience cold wave conditions for the next two days, followed by partly cloudy skies. The weather department has also warned of dense fog in several regions. Dense fog is likely in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim. These foggy conditions may persist till January 15. https://www.wionews.com/videos/court-order-blocks-msvpg-digital-reviews-to-stop-bots-1768220453682/embed IMD has warned that cold wave conditions can affect health, agriculture, transport, and power supply. People are advised to stay warm, avoid prolonged exposure to cold, and take precautions.

IMD has issued a cold wave and dense fog warning for Delhi-NCR and several Northern states; areas likely to be covered in thick fog till January 15

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who has been at the forefront in voicing concerns of gig economy workers in the country, took a step further by stepping into the role of a Blinkit delivery partner for a day. Chadha shared a video of himself donning the uniform of a gig worker, captioned “Away from boardrooms, at the grassroots. I lived there day."&nbsp;In a post on X, the AAP leader changed into a Blinkit T-shirt and jacket before taking a delivery bag from a rider and was seen riding pillion on a scooter, stopping at a store to pick up items, travelling towards the delivery location. The clip further shows that at the customer's doorstep, the rider steps out of the lift and rings the bell as Chadha follows closely behind.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Away from boardrooms, at the grassroots. I lived their day. Stay tuned! <a href="https://t.co/exGBNFGD3T">pic.twitter.com/exGBNFGD3T</a>&mdash; Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) <a href="https://twitter.com/raghav_chadha/status/2010585064737001647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The video comes weeks after Raghav Chadha raised concerns of platform and gig workers in Parliament, including low pay, long working hours and the lack of social security for the delivery partners and other app-based service providers.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-german-chancellor-merz-share-car-ride-vow-to-deepen-strategic-ties-india-germany-european-union-car-ride-1768216724311">PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz share car ride; vow to deepen ties in strategic sectors</a>&nbsp;During the winter session of the parliament, Chadha urged the government to put a ban on 10-minute delivery services offered by quick commerce and ultra-fast delivery platforms. He argued that the 10-minute delivery culture creates pressure on gig workers to overspeed and put their lives in danger to meet the tight deadlines.&nbsp;Earlier, in another post on X, Chadha shared a video of his interaction with delivery workers from different quick-commerce companies.&nbsp;"These platforms didn’t succeed because of algorithms alone. They succeeded because of human sweat and labour. It’s time companies start treating riders as human beings, not disposable data points. The gig economy cannot become a guilt-free exploitation economy,” he said. The gig economy has emerged as one of the key employment providers in India. As per a NITI Aayog report, the gig workforce is anticipated to reach nearly 23.5 million by 2029-30, making around 4.1 per cent of the country's total workforce and 6.7 per cent of the non-agricultural workforce.&nbsp;

Chadha has been at the forefront of voicing concerns of gig workers, such as low pay and long working hours, and has sought a ban on 10-minute delivery in Parliament.

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who has been at the forefront in voicing concerns of gig economy workers in the country, took a step further by stepping into the role of a Blinkit delivery partner for a day. Chadha shared a video of himself donning the uniform of a gig worker, captioned “Away from boardrooms, at the grassroots. I lived there day." In a post on X, the AAP leader changed into a Blinkit T-shirt and jacket before taking a delivery bag from a rider and was seen riding pillion on a scooter, stopping at a store to pick up items, travelling towards the delivery location. The clip further shows that at the customer's doorstep, the rider steps out of the lift and rings the bell as Chadha follows closely behind.

Chadha has been at the forefront of voicing concerns of gig workers, such as low pay and long working hours, and has sought a ban on 10-minute delivery in Parliament.

Raghav Chadha turns Blinkit delivery rider for a day, drops teaser

The unprecedented, repeat mid-flight failures of India's PSLV-C61 rocket on May 18, 2025 and the PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12, 2026, are major setbacks to the Indian space agency ISRO and the country's gradually growing space-based surveillance capabilities. Both mid-flight failures of PSLV have led to the loss of million-dollar Earth-imaging satellites meant for strategic use. ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions. Of these five national security mission failures, three of them happened between January 2025 and January 2026. Such recurring patterns of failures in national security-linked missions are a serious cause for concern.&nbsp;&nbsp;It is to be noted that these five failures occurred in rockets and satellite variants or their components that have been operational with ISRO for decades. Going by rocket and satellite cost estimates, these five mission failures in the last nine years would have cost the Indian government a few hundred million dollars, if not more. Further, the government would have to spend the same amount of money once again to redo these missions. Also, one must factor in the cost of the lost opportunities. Because, in the absence of these homegrown strategic satellites, India would have to purchase similar satellite-based services from foreign firms. Having to commit resources to redo failed missions would also considerably slow down India's planned rocket launch missions and the overall pace of executing space launches.&nbsp;As per publicly available information (official data is not available for PSLV-C61 and PSLV C-62), each mission failure over the last nine years was caused by a different component/system. This re-emphasises that rocketry is a zero-error business, where even the smallest of errors or defects can lead to catastrophic failures and immense losses. While such losses offer valuable lessons for future missions, it is also important to note that these failures are delaying deployment of several important space-based capabilities developed by Indian scientists.&nbsp;Here's the list of five Indian strategic space missions that have failed over the last nine years:&nbsp;<h2>January 2026, PSLV-C62/EOS-N1</h2>&nbsp;The PSLV-C62 flight on Monday, (12th Jan 2026), marked PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025, and this is also ISRO's first launch of 2026. The primary satellite of this PSLV-C62 mission was the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite was to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is a Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated by sunlight, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation, concrete structure) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections, classify them and help identify what material it is made of.&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to 'EOS-N1', there were 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV-C62. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space.&nbsp;&nbsp;Speaking from the spaceport, ISRO Chief, Dr. V. Narayanan said, "We attempted PSLV-C-62 mission. PSLV is a four-stage rocket. The vehicle performance up to almost the end of the third stage was as expected. By the end of third stage, we observed a disturbance in the vehicle, and a deviation was observed in the flight path. We are analyzing the data, we will come back at the earliest." While ISRO did not say it explicitly, the PSLV-C62 rocket and all passenger satellites have been lost due to the mid-flight failure.&nbsp;<h2>May 2025, PSLV-C61/EOS-09</h2>&nbsp;On Sunday, 18th May, barely six minutes after liftoff, ISRO's PSLV-C61 rocket faced trouble mid-flight. "Up to the second stage performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan regarding the status of the four-stage PSLV rocket that was supposed to perform an 18-minutes-long mission.EOS-09 is a radar imaging satellite(earlier known as RISAT) that is capable of day and night imaging. It can see through clouds, deliver images under all weather conditions. This 1,700kg satellite was meant to have an operational life of at least five years.&nbsp;Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," Dr. Narayanan had said.&nbsp;<h2>January 2025, GSLV-F15/NVS-02</h2>&nbsp;With the first-generation of NAVIC satellites nearing their end-of-life, ISRO began replacing it with a heavier series of five satellites known as NVS. NVS-01, the first satellite in this new series was launched successfully in May 2023. The next one, NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, in what was the 100th rocket launch from the Indian spaceport in Sriharikota.&nbsp;While the GSLV rocket accomplished its task of placing the NVS-02 satellite in the initial orbit, the satellite encountered an anomaly, which prevented it from firing its on-board engines and moving to the final orbit. Satellites are moved from one orbit to another by firing their liquid-fuelled engines that burn a fuel and oxidiser combination. In this case, it has not been possible to fire the engine and raise the satellite's orbit, due to an issue with the valve that releases the oxidiser.&nbsp;The satellite was launched into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is usually used as an initial parking orbit for heavy satellites. Approximately, the satellite was launched into an orbit that is highly elliptical- 170kms above Earth at its nearest approach (perigee) and 36,500 km at its farthest approach from Earth (apogee). Typically, a series of engine firings are performed to place the satellite into a circular orbit, where it is evenly 35,700 km above Earth. However, NVS-02 remained stuck in GTO, rendering the satellite unusable for its core purpose.&nbsp;<h2>August 2021, GSLV-F10/EOS-03</h2>&nbsp;Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ISRO had launched a sophisticated Earth-imaging satellite known as GISAT-1, aboard the GSLV-F10 rocket. GISAT-1 or EOS-3 was an agile earth observation satellite, which can use different types of imaging technologies to provide a constant monitoring of a region of interest/calamity/weather pattern.&nbsp;GISAT-1 was meant to provide almost real-time imaging of large regions of interest at frequent intervals, quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events, and also obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow &amp; glaciers, and oceanography.&nbsp;GISAT-1 was meant to stay perched 36,000kms above the Indian subcontinent and help maintain a constant vigil of a large area. This mission was ready for launch in early-2020, but delayed for "technical reasons". Finally, the rocket lifted off on August 12th 2021, but the mission ran into trouble mid-flight, after a malfunction in the Cryogenic upper stage that was meant to place the satellite into orbit. ISRO later revealed that a valve leak in the liquid hydrogen tank led to the failure.&nbsp;<h2>August 2017, PSLV-C39/IRNSS-1H</h2>&nbsp;Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS), later known as Navigation with Indian Constellation(NAVIC) is a Position, Navigation, Timing service meant to be used by the various ministries of the Indian Government and the country's Armed Forces. Simply put, NAVIC is an Indian-made, scaled-down equivalent of Global Positioning System.&nbsp;During the late-night launch of PSLV-C39, all flight events took place exactly as planned, except heat shield separation. This resulted in satellite separation occurring within the heat shield. The satellite remained inside the heat shield resulting in the unsuccessful mission.

ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions.

The unprecedented, repeat mid-flight failures of India's PSLV-C61 rocket on May 18, 2025 and the PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12, 2026, are major setbacks to the Indian space agency ISRO and the country's gradually growing space-based surveillance capabilities. Both mid-flight failures of PSLV have led to the loss of million-dollar Earth-imaging satellites meant for strategic use. ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions. Of these five national security mission failures, three of them happened between January 2025 and January 2026. Such recurring patterns of failures in national security-linked missions are a serious cause for concern. It is to be noted that these five failures occurred in rockets and satellite variants or their components that have been operational with ISRO for decades. Going by rocket and satellite cost estimates, these five mission failures in the last nine years would have cost the Indian government a few hundred million dollars, if not more. Further, the government would have to spend the same amount of money once again to redo these missions. Also, one must factor in the cost of the lost opportunities. Because, in the absence of these homegrown strategic satellites, India would have to purchase similar satellite-based services from foreign firms. Having to commit resources to redo failed missions would also considerably slow down India's planned rocket launch missions and the overall pace of executing space launches. As per publicly available information (official data is not available for PSLV-C61 and PSLV C-62), each mission failure over the last nine years was caused by a different component/system. This re-emphasises that rocketry is a zero-error business, where even the smallest of errors or defects can lead to catastrophic failures and immense losses. While such losses offer valuable lessons for future missions, it is also important to note that these failures are delaying deployment of several important space-based capabilities developed by Indian scientists. Here's the list of five Indian strategic space missions that have failed over the last nine years: January 2026, PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 The PSLV-C62 flight on Monday, (12th Jan 2026), marked PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025, and this is also ISRO's first launch of 2026. The primary satellite of this PSLV-C62 mission was the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite was to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is a Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated by sunlight, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation, concrete structure) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections, classify them and help identify what material it is made of. In addition to 'EOS-N1', there were 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV-C62. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space. Speaking from the spaceport, ISRO Chief, Dr. V. Narayanan said, "We attempted PSLV-C-62 mission. PSLV is a four-stage rocket. The vehicle performance up to almost the end of the third stage was as expected. By the end of third stage, we observed a disturbance in the vehicle, and a deviation was observed in the flight path. We are analyzing the data, we will come back at the earliest." While ISRO did not say it explicitly, the PSLV-C62 rocket and all passenger satellites have been lost due to the mid-flight failure. May 2025, PSLV-C61/EOS-09 On Sunday, 18th May, barely six minutes after liftoff, ISRO's PSLV-C61 rocket faced trouble mid-flight. "Up to the second stage performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan regarding the status of the four-stage PSLV rocket that was supposed to perform an 18-minutes-long mission. EOS-09 is a radar imaging satellite(earlier known as RISAT) that is capable of day and night imaging. It can see through clouds, deliver images under all weather conditions. This 1,700kg satellite was meant to have an operational life of at least five years. Addressing journalists at the spaceport, the ISRO Chief had elaborated on the observations. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," Dr. Narayanan had said. January 2025, GSLV-F15/NVS-02 With the first-generation of NAVIC satellites nearing their end-of-life, ISRO began replacing it with a heavier series of five satellites known as NVS. NVS-01, the first satellite in this new series was launched successfully in May 2023. The next one, NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, in what was the 100th rocket launch from the Indian spaceport in Sriharikota. While the GSLV rocket accomplished its task of placing the NVS-02 satellite in the initial orbit, the satellite encountered an anomaly, which prevented it from firing its on-board engines and moving to the final orbit. Satellites are moved from one orbit to another by firing their liquid-fuelled engines that burn a fuel and oxidiser combination. In this case, it has not been possible to fire the engine and raise the satellite's orbit, due to an issue with the valve that releases the oxidiser. The satellite was launched into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is usually used as an initial parking orbit for heavy satellites. Approximately, the satellite was launched into an orbit that is highly elliptical- 170kms above Earth at its nearest approach (perigee) and 36,500 km at its farthest approach from Earth (apogee). Typically, a series of engine firings are performed to place the satellite into a circular orbit, where it is evenly 35,700 km above Earth. However, NVS-02 remained stuck in GTO, rendering the satellite unusable for its core purpose. August 2021, GSLV-F10/EOS-03 Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ISRO had launched a sophisticated Earth-imaging satellite known as GISAT-1, aboard the GSLV-F10 rocket. GISAT-1 or EOS-3 was an agile earth observation satellite, which can use different types of imaging technologies to provide a constant monitoring of a region of interest/calamity/weather pattern. GISAT-1 was meant to provide almost real-time imaging of large regions of interest at frequent intervals, quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events, and also obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow & glaciers, and oceanography. GISAT-1 was meant to stay perched 36,000kms above the Indian subcontinent and help maintain a constant vigil of a large area. This mission was ready for launch in early-2020, but delayed for "technical reasons". Finally, the rocket lifted off on August 12th 2021, but the mission ran into trouble mid-flight, after a malfunction in the Cryogenic upper stage that was meant to place the satellite into orbit. ISRO later revealed that a valve leak in the liquid hydrogen tank led to the failure. August 2017, PSLV-C39/IRNSS-1H Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System(IRNSS), later known as Navigation with Indian Constellation(NAVIC) is a Position, Navigation, Timing service meant to be used by the various ministries of the Indian Government and the country's Armed Forces. Simply put, NAVIC is an Indian-made, scaled-down equivalent of Global Positioning System. During the late-night launch of PSLV-C39, all flight events took place exactly as planned, except heat shield separation. This resulted in satellite separation occurring within the heat shield. The satellite remained inside the heat shield resulting in the unsuccessful mission.

ISRO's own statistics show that 44 missions have been undertaken between 2017 and 2026, of which five have failed, and all of them are national security missions.

3 failures in 12 months: ISRO's troubles with strategic space missions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday (Jan 12) shared a car ride reflecting warm and friendly ties between the two leaders and deepening the relationship between the two countries. The German Chancellor is on a two-day visit to India to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership.&nbsp;Sharing a picture of both leaders carpooling, PM Modi on X posted, "The friendship between India and Germany continues to grow through shared values, extensive cooperation and mutual understanding."&nbsp;Earlier in the day, PM Modi and German Chancellor visited historic Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat and rode in an open vehicle along the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and also tried their hands at flying kites.&nbsp;&nbsp;Addressing a joint press conference after holding formal delegation-level talks, Merz described New Delhi as a "desired partner, a partner for choice" for Berlin and underlined that finalising free trade negotiations between India and the European Union is central to unlocking the full potential of India-Germany economic relations.&nbsp;"To tap into the full potential of India-Germany economic relations, we need to conclude the negotiations on a free trade agreement between India and the European Union," he said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/-israel-iran-will-be-faithful-partners-again-netanyahu-wants-fall-of-khamenei-regime-s-tyranny-urges-protesters-to-continue-1768196188409">'Israel, Iran will be faithful partners again': Netanyahu predicts fall of Khamenei, urges protesters to continue demonstrations</a>&nbsp;India and Germany signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the Defence sector in areas of development, production, innovation, and enhancing global supply chains.&nbsp;"We want to deepen cooperation of our defence industries, and this has strategic significance. We signed an MoU on closer cooperation between our defence industries on the development, production and promotion of innovation and the strengthening of global supply chains," Merz added.&nbsp;Prime Minister Modi appreciated Chancellor Merz's decision to choose India for his first trip to Asia, saying that the visit reflects India's role in Germany's diversification strategy and symbolises a high level of trust between the two nations. "We have decided to make this seamless economic partnership limitless. This means that, along with traditional economic sectors, there will now be deeper cooperation in strategic sectors as well. In the defence sector, we are exchanging a Joint Declaration of Intent today," Modi said, speaking at the India-Germany CEOs Forum.&nbsp;Merz expressed gratitude towards the Indian leader for inviting him to Modi's home state of Gujarat. “You invited me to visit your home state of Gujarat. I express my heartfelt gratitude for this special gesture. It is a sign of very deep ties between our two countries, but it is also a testament of friendship towards me.”

Merz described New Delhi as a "desired partner, a partner for choice" for Berlin and underlined that finalising free trade negotiations between India and the European Union is central to unlocking the full potential of India-Germany economic relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday (Jan 12) shared a car ride reflecting warm and friendly ties between the two leaders and deepening the relationship between the two countries. The German Chancellor is on a two-day visit to India to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership. Sharing a picture of both leaders carpooling, PM Modi on X posted, "The friendship between India and Germany continues to grow through shared values, extensive cooperation and mutual understanding." Earlier in the day, PM Modi and German Chancellor visited historic Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat and rode in an open vehicle along the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and also tried their hands at flying kites. Addressing a joint press conference after holding formal delegation-level talks, Merz described New Delhi as a "desired partner, a partner for choice" for Berlin and underlined that finalising free trade negotiations between India and the European Union is central to unlocking the full potential of India-Germany economic relations. "To tap into the full potential of India-Germany economic relations, we need to conclude the negotiations on a free trade agreement between India and the European Union," he said. Also Read: 'Israel, Iran will be faithful partners again': Netanyahu predicts fall of Khamenei, urges protesters to continue demonstrations India and Germany signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen cooperation in the Defence sector in areas of development, production, innovation, and enhancing global supply chains. "We want to deepen cooperation of our defence industries, and this has strategic significance. We signed an MoU on closer cooperation between our defence industries on the development, production and promotion of innovation and the strengthening of global supply chains," Merz added. Prime Minister Modi appreciated Chancellor Merz's decision to choose India for his first trip to Asia, saying that the visit reflects India's role in Germany's diversification strategy and symbolises a high level of trust between the two nations. "We have decided to make this seamless economic partnership limitless. This means that, along with traditional economic sectors, there will now be deeper cooperation in strategic sectors as well. In the defence sector, we are exchanging a Joint Declaration of Intent today," Modi said, speaking at the India-Germany CEOs Forum. Merz expressed gratitude towards the Indian leader for inviting him to Modi's home state of Gujarat. “You invited me to visit your home state of Gujarat. I express my heartfelt gratitude for this special gesture. It is a sign of very deep ties between our two countries, but it is also a testament of friendship towards me.”

Merz described New Delhi as a "desired partner, a partner for choice" for Berlin and underlined that finalising free trade negotiations between India and the European Union is central to unlocking the full potential of India-Germany economic relations.

PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz share car ride; vow to deepen ties in strategic sectors

In an incident that was initially believed to be a case of accidental fire in a flat in an apartment in Bengaluru, a 18-year-old has been arrested for the murder of 34-year-old software engineer, identified as Sharmila Kushalappa. The body of software professional Sharmila was found in her apartment about a week ago.&nbsp;But after investigations opened in the case that was initially believed to be a fire caused by a short circuit in the house, police zeroed in on the victim's neighbour Karnal Kurai, originally a resident of Kerala.&nbsp;It was the forensic examination that revealed the victim had been suffocated to death and the fire was set intentionally to get rid of any evidence.&nbsp;On the day of the incident, Kurai, who lived with his single mother next door entered the victim’s flat through a sliding window at around 9 PM. He then asked for sexual favours from the woman which was declined after which he got enraged and killed her.&nbsp;The teen confessed to the crime during the police investigation.&nbsp;

On the day of the incident, Kurai, who lived with his single mother next door entered the victim’s flat through a sliding window at around 9 PM and demanded for sexual favours.

In an incident that was initially believed to be a case of accidental fire in a flat in an apartment in Bengaluru, a 18-year-old has been arrested for the murder of 34-year-old software engineer, identified as Sharmila Kushalappa. The body of software professional Sharmila was found in her apartment about a week ago. But after investigations opened in the case that was initially believed to be a fire caused by a short circuit in the house, police zeroed in on the victim's neighbour Karnal Kurai, originally a resident of Kerala. It was the forensic examination that revealed the victim had been suffocated to death and the fire was set intentionally to get rid of any evidence. On the day of the incident, Kurai, who lived with his single mother next door entered the victim’s flat through a sliding window at around 9 PM. He then asked for sexual favours from the woman which was declined after which he got enraged and killed her. The teen confessed to the crime during the police investigation.

On the day of the incident, Kurai, who lived with his single mother next door entered the victim’s flat through a sliding window at around 9 PM and demanded for sexual favours.

Bengaluru techie killed for resisting sexual favours, 18-year-old arrested

Sergio Gor took charge as the US Ambassador to India on Monday. He described the India-US ties as the most “consequential global partnership of this century” and stated that trade negotiations from both ends will be held on Tuesday. Gor also invited India to join the Pax Silica, the US-led coalition on the critical minerals supply chain.&nbsp;“In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow. Remember, India is the world’s largest nation, so it’s not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there, and while trade is very important for our relationship, we will continue to work closely together on other very important areas, such as security, counterterrorism, energy, technology, education and health,” he said, the Indian Express reported.<h3>What is Pax Silica?</h3>Pax Silica is a US-backed strategic initiative aimed at creating a secure, resilient and innovation-led silicon supply chain, spanning critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, development and logistics. Countries that joined the initiative last month include Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Israel.&nbsp;Gor said, “Today, I’m pleased to announce that India will be invited to join this group of nations as a full member next month.”His statements followed after the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accused India of delaying progress on the India-US trade agreement. Reacting to this, Gor said, “The United States and India are bound not just by shared interest, but by a relationship anchored at the highest levels. Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences”.&nbsp;“In the end, last week, our great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, powerfully stated that this year will be a year of reciprocity. We are raising the standard for diplomacy itself, which means fair trade, mutual respect and shared security. Many of you have asked me for an update on the ongoing trade deal negotiations. Both sides continue to actively engage," he added.&nbsp;Gor added that he had come to India with deep respect and a clear objective of elevating the partnership between the two countries to the next stage. He highlighted his first visit to India in 2013, when he has been to Jaipur and Ranthambore in Rajasthan, and Punjab, among other places. “When President Trump asked me to come here, I was thrilled,” he said.

Sergio Gor described the India-US ties as the most “consequential global partnership of this century” and stated that trade negotiations from both ends will be held on Tuesday. Gor also invited India to join the Pax Silica.

Sergio Gor took charge as the US Ambassador to India on Monday. He described the India-US ties as the most “consequential global partnership of this century” and stated that trade negotiations from both ends will be held on Tuesday. Gor also invited India to join the Pax Silica, the US-led coalition on the critical minerals supply chain. “In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow. Remember, India is the world’s largest nation, so it’s not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there, and while trade is very important for our relationship, we will continue to work closely together on other very important areas, such as security, counterterrorism, energy, technology, education and health,” he said, the Indian Express reported. What is Pax Silica? Pax Silica is a US-backed strategic initiative aimed at creating a secure, resilient and innovation-led silicon supply chain, spanning critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, development and logistics. Countries that joined the initiative last month include Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Israel. Gor said, “Today, I’m pleased to announce that India will be invited to join this group of nations as a full member next month.” His statements followed after the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick accused India of delaying progress on the India-US trade agreement. Reacting to this, Gor said, “The United States and India are bound not just by shared interest, but by a relationship anchored at the highest levels. Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences”. “In the end, last week, our great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, powerfully stated that this year will be a year of reciprocity. We are raising the standard for diplomacy itself, which means fair trade, mutual respect and shared security. Many of you have asked me for an update on the ongoing trade deal negotiations. Both sides continue to actively engage," he added. Gor added that he had come to India with deep respect and a clear objective of elevating the partnership between the two countries to the next stage. He highlighted his first visit to India in 2013, when he has been to Jaipur and Ranthambore in Rajasthan, and Punjab, among other places. “When President Trump asked me to come here, I was thrilled,” he said.

Sergio Gor described the India-US ties as the most “consequential global partnership of this century” and stated that trade negotiations from both ends will be held on Tuesday. Gor also invited India to join the Pax Silica.

'Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences': Sergio Gor assumes office as US envoy to India

In less than three weeks, a Sikh parade in New Zealand was disrupted for the second time on Sunday by a local right-wing religious group Christians linked to a local church. The annual Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) was &nbsp;organised to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. The disruption has been condemned by the Sikh bodies including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar.&nbsp;The incident took place in Tauranga city, about 225 km from Auckland, when the procession began at 11 am at the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat temple, and moved towards Tauranga Boys’ College via Cameron Road.&nbsp;Security measure for the procession were in place to avoid any untoward incident but the disruption still took place by a group of Christians linked to a local church and political leader Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church, a fundamentalist religious group.&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-trump-threat-of-taking-over-greenland-us-danish-officials-to-hold-meeting-report-1768199732254">Amid Trump threat of 'taking over Greenland', US, Danish officials to hold meeting: Report</a>&nbsp;The parade disruptors performed 'Haka' as they confronted the Sikhs performing kirtan (holy songs).&nbsp;The protestors also chanted slogans and held up banners reading “This is New Zealand, not India”. They were, however, taken away from the spot by the police and not untoward incident was reported.&nbsp;Political leader Brian Tamaki shared a video of the disruption on X with the caption “WHOSE STREETS? KIWI STREETS.” “The True Patriots Are Not Backing Down.”&nbsp;“Today in Tauranga, our True Patriots answered the Sikh Parade with a haka…not violence, not silence, but peaceful defiance. Our chant rang out across our streets: ‘Whose streets? OUR streets. Whose streets? KIWI streets," the caption read further.&nbsp;In the video shared online, one can see the group - True Patriots of NZ - wearing blue shirts doing 'Haka' and confronting the Sikh group

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=782684158172187

Security measure for the procession were in place to avoid any untoward incident but the disruption still took place by a group of Christians linked to a local church.

In less than three weeks, a Sikh parade in New Zealand was disrupted for the second time on Sunday by a local right-wing religious group Christians linked to a local church. The annual Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) was organised to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. The disruption has been condemned by the Sikh bodies including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Amritsar. The incident took place in Tauranga city, about 225 km from Auckland, when the procession began at 11 am at the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat temple, and moved towards Tauranga Boys’ College via Cameron Road. Security measure for the procession were in place to avoid any untoward incident but the disruption still took place by a group of Christians linked to a local church and political leader Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church, a fundamentalist religious group. ALSO READ: Amid Trump threat of 'taking over Greenland', US, Danish officials to hold meeting: Report The parade disruptors performed 'Haka' as they confronted the Sikhs performing kirtan (holy songs). The protestors also chanted slogans and held up banners reading “This is New Zealand, not India”. They were, however, taken away from the spot by the police and not untoward incident was reported. Political leader Brian Tamaki shared a video of the disruption on X with the caption “WHOSE STREETS? KIWI STREETS.” “The True Patriots Are Not Backing Down.” “Today in Tauranga, our True Patriots answered the Sikh Parade with a haka…not violence, not silence, but peaceful defiance. Our chant rang out across our streets: ‘Whose streets? OUR streets. Whose streets? KIWI streets," the caption read further. In the video shared online, one can see the group - True Patriots of NZ - wearing blue shirts doing 'Haka' and confronting the Sikh group

Security measure for the procession were in place to avoid any untoward incident but the disruption still took place by a group of Christians linked to a local church.

'This is our land not India': Sikh parade in New Zealand heckled by Christian Group for second time

An elderly NRI couple was reportedly duped of around Rs 15 crore in Delhi after the scamsters put them under “digital arrest” for over 15 days, posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai Police, said Delhi Police on Sunday.&nbsp;The couple, identified as Indira Taneja, 77, and her husband Om Taneja, 81, stated that their “biggest mistake” was not approaching the police as soon as possible. "We were told by the SHO (of Delhi Police) that we were put under (so-called) ‘digital arrest’. And that is when we realised what had happened," said Om Taneja, news agency PTI reported. "Not informing the police earlier was our biggest mistake," he said, adding that they lost Rs 14.85 crore.&nbsp;Indira Taneja, who lives in Delhi’s upscale Greater Kailash-2 locality, alleged that she received a call on December 24 from a person impersonating an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller claimed that a phone number linked to her was being used to make offensive and abusive calls, and further alleged that she was under investigation in a money-laundering case, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;The fraudster also told her that black money had been traced to her bank account, placing her under official scrutiny. Taneja said she was then connected via video call to another man who introduced himself as a police officer from Mumbai’s Colaba area. According to her, the man appeared in a police uniform and alleged that a Canara Bank account in her name was connected to a large-scale fraud.&nbsp;The caller further warned her that her life was in danger and instructed her not to discuss the matter with anyone. Recounting the incident to PTI, Taneja said she received the initial call around noon on December 24 from the man posing as a TRAI official. "He told me that my telephone number was being disconnected because obscene calls were made from it and that 26 people had filed complaints," she said.<h3>Fake arrest warrants</h3>Even after confirming the number shown by them was not hers, they also issued arrest warrants. "Despite that, he said arrest warrants were issued against me, and an FIR was registered in Maharashtra," she said. After this, Indira claimed that the scammers informed her that the case had been transferred to the Colaba Police of Mumbai, and later, they connected her in a video call to someone. "A man named ‘Vikrant Singh Rajput’ appeared on the screen wearing a police uniform. I could see police insignia behind him. He told me I was involved in money laundering," she said.&nbsp;She added that the man in the uniform claimed that a bank account was opened in her name at Mumbai's Canara Bank branch and multiple transactions were made through it. The scammer also showed her a photograph of a man, identifying as ‘Naresh Goyal’, and question as if she knew him. "I told him I had never seen this person in my life," she said. "They said a fraud of ₹500 crore had taken place and that since I had returned from the US to serve the nation, it had become a national-security issue," Indira added.&nbsp;Later, the scammers asked the couple not to indulge anyone for national security and to send money from their bank accounts for verification. "They kept demanding money — ₹2 crore, ₹2.1 crore, ₹2.5 crore. The phone or the video call remained active throughout the day. I was ‘digitally arrested’ from December 24 noon till January 9 morning," Indira said.&nbsp;After being swindled of their life’s savings, the victims alleged that the fraudsters assured them a refund would be issued through the Reserve Bank of India and even showed documents bearing what they claimed were Supreme Court stamps. The elderly couple realised they had been cheated only after approaching the police.&nbsp;The victim later contacted the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 and sought time to file a detailed complaint in the presence of her lawyer, after which the case will be forwarded to the Cyber Crime Unit. Meanwhile, the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police has already registered an FIR in the matter, as reported by the news agency ANI.

Indira Taneja, who lives in Delhi’s upscale Greater Kailash-2 locality, alleged that she received a call on December 24 from a person impersonating an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). 

An elderly NRI couple was reportedly duped of around Rs 15 crore in Delhi after the scamsters put them under “digital arrest” for over 15 days, posing as officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Mumbai Police, said Delhi Police on Sunday. The couple, identified as Indira Taneja, 77, and her husband Om Taneja, 81, stated that their “biggest mistake” was not approaching the police as soon as possible. "We were told by the SHO (of Delhi Police) that we were put under (so-called) ‘digital arrest’. And that is when we realised what had happened," said Om Taneja, news agency PTI reported. "Not informing the police earlier was our biggest mistake," he said, adding that they lost Rs 14.85 crore. Indira Taneja, who lives in Delhi’s upscale Greater Kailash-2 locality, alleged that she received a call on December 24 from a person impersonating an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller claimed that a phone number linked to her was being used to make offensive and abusive calls, and further alleged that she was under investigation in a money-laundering case, news agency ANI reported. The fraudster also told her that black money had been traced to her bank account, placing her under official scrutiny. Taneja said she was then connected via video call to another man who introduced himself as a police officer from Mumbai’s Colaba area. According to her, the man appeared in a police uniform and alleged that a Canara Bank account in her name was connected to a large-scale fraud. The caller further warned her that her life was in danger and instructed her not to discuss the matter with anyone. Recounting the incident to PTI, Taneja said she received the initial call around noon on December 24 from the man posing as a TRAI official. "He told me that my telephone number was being disconnected because obscene calls were made from it and that 26 people had filed complaints," she said. Fake arrest warrants Even after confirming the number shown by them was not hers, they also issued arrest warrants. "Despite that, he said arrest warrants were issued against me, and an FIR was registered in Maharashtra," she said. After this, Indira claimed that the scammers informed her that the case had been transferred to the Colaba Police of Mumbai, and later, they connected her in a video call to someone. "A man named ‘Vikrant Singh Rajput’ appeared on the screen wearing a police uniform. I could see police insignia behind him. He told me I was involved in money laundering," she said. She added that the man in the uniform claimed that a bank account was opened in her name at Mumbai's Canara Bank branch and multiple transactions were made through it. The scammer also showed her a photograph of a man, identifying as ‘Naresh Goyal’, and question as if she knew him. "I told him I had never seen this person in my life," she said. "They said a fraud of ₹500 crore had taken place and that since I had returned from the US to serve the nation, it had become a national-security issue," Indira added. Later, the scammers asked the couple not to indulge anyone for national security and to send money from their bank accounts for verification. "They kept demanding money — ₹2 crore, ₹2.1 crore, ₹2.5 crore. The phone or the video call remained active throughout the day. I was ‘digitally arrested’ from December 24 noon till January 9 morning," Indira said. After being swindled of their life’s savings, the victims alleged that the fraudsters assured them a refund would be issued through the Reserve Bank of India and even showed documents bearing what they claimed were Supreme Court stamps. The elderly couple realised they had been cheated only after approaching the police. The victim later contacted the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 and sought time to file a detailed complaint in the presence of her lawyer, after which the case will be forwarded to the Cyber Crime Unit. Meanwhile, the IFSO unit of the Delhi Police has already registered an FIR in the matter, as reported by the news agency ANI.

Indira Taneja, who lives in Delhi’s upscale Greater Kailash-2 locality, alleged that she received a call on December 24 from a person impersonating an official of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).&nbsp;

Delhi elderly NRI couple duped of Rs 15 crore in ‘digitally arrest’ cyber scam; say 'our biggest mistake was...'

There is no respite from the cold wave gripping the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh divisions. As forecast by the Meteorological Department, temperatures have witnessed a sharp and sudden decline across major districts, significantly intensifying the winter chill. &nbsp;Srinagar continues to reel under a severe cold wave, with temperatures plunging to minus 2.4 degrees Celsius. Srinagar Airport recorded an even lower minimum of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius. The world-famous ski resort of Gulmarg also registered a minimum temperature of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, while South Kashmir’s popular tourist destination, Pahalgam, recorded a similar low. &nbsp;Elsewhere in South Kashmir, Shopian experienced biting cold with the mercury dipping to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, while Pulwama shivered at a harsher minus 6.5 degrees Celsius. In Central Kashmir, the resort town of Sonamarg also witnessed sub-zero conditions, recording a minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius. &nbsp;Meanwhile, Ladakh continues to remain the coldest region in the country, with temperatures in Leh plunging to minus 10.8 degrees Celsius. Hanle recorded even harsher conditions, with the mercury dipping to minus 15 degrees Celsius, while Kargil registered a low of minus 9.3 degrees Celsius. &nbsp;The Kashmir Valley is currently in the grip of Chillai Kalan, the harshest and coldest phase of winter. This 40-day period began on December 21.The Meteorological Department (MeT) has forecast mainly dry weather until January 15. However, generally cloudy conditions are expected, with the possibility of light snowfall over isolated higher reaches of the Kashmir division from January 16 to 17. The department has also predicted a gradual rise in minimum temperatures. &nbsp;Meanwhile, moderate fog is expected to prevail over the plains of the Jammu division, with dense fog at isolated locations likely to continue over the next five days. &nbsp;

Ladakh continues to remain the coldest region in the country, with temperatures in Leh plunging to minus 10.8 degrees Celsius.

There is no respite from the cold wave gripping the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh divisions. As forecast by the Meteorological Department, temperatures have witnessed a sharp and sudden decline across major districts, significantly intensifying the winter chill. Srinagar continues to reel under a severe cold wave, with temperatures plunging to minus 2.4 degrees Celsius. Srinagar Airport recorded an even lower minimum of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius. The world-famous ski resort of Gulmarg also registered a minimum temperature of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, while South Kashmir’s popular tourist destination, Pahalgam, recorded a similar low. Elsewhere in South Kashmir, Shopian experienced biting cold with the mercury dipping to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, while Pulwama shivered at a harsher minus 6.5 degrees Celsius. In Central Kashmir, the resort town of Sonamarg also witnessed sub-zero conditions, recording a minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Ladakh continues to remain the coldest region in the country, with temperatures in Leh plunging to minus 10.8 degrees Celsius. Hanle recorded even harsher conditions, with the mercury dipping to minus 15 degrees Celsius, while Kargil registered a low of minus 9.3 degrees Celsius. The Kashmir Valley is currently in the grip of Chillai Kalan, the harshest and coldest phase of winter. This 40-day period began on December 21. The Meteorological Department (MeT) has forecast mainly dry weather until January 15. However, generally cloudy conditions are expected, with the possibility of light snowfall over isolated higher reaches of the Kashmir division from January 16 to 17. The department has also predicted a gradual rise in minimum temperatures. Meanwhile, moderate fog is expected to prevail over the plains of the Jammu division, with dense fog at isolated locations likely to continue over the next five days.

Ladakh continues to remain the coldest region in the country, with temperatures in Leh plunging to minus 10.8 degrees Celsius.

No respite from cold wave as sub-zero temperatures grip J&K, Ladakh

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (Jan 12) held delegation-level talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad during the German leader’s first official visit to India.The German Chancellor is on a two-day official visit to the country, which also coincides with the celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, and is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between India and Germany. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were also present at the meeting. The meeting was held at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties between India and Germany as the leaders reviewed ongoing cooperation in trade, investment, technology, education, skilling, and mobility and explored collaboration in defence, security, science, innovation, research, and sustainable development. Prior to their meeting, PM Modi warmly welcomed the German Chancellor to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, marking the German leader's first official visit to India since taking office. After his arrival at the Ashram, both leaders paid floral tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Merz also signed the visitors' book there. Following this, both leaders jointly inaugurated the International Kite Festival 2026 at the Sabarmati Riverfront, underscoring the cultural and diplomatic significance of Chancellor Merz's visit to India. They were also seen flying a kite depicting Lord Hanuman. Earlier today, the German Federal Chancellor arrived in India for a two-day official visit, marking the first such visit since assuming office. The visit is expected to build on momentum from regular high-level political interactions and provide an opportunity to reaffirm India and Germany's shared vision to develop a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of both countries and the wider global community. The German Chancellor is in India from January 12 to January 13. On January 13, Merz will visit Bosch, then Nano Science and Engineering, CeNSE, and depart for Germany. PM Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merz last held discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where the two leaders agreed to further broaden the bilateral strategic partnership. During that interaction, Prime Minister Modi invited the German Chancellor to an official visit to New Delhi. The visit is also taking place in the lead-up to the India-EU Summit scheduled for January 27.

Prior to their meeting, PM Modi warmly welcomed the German Chancellor to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, marking the German leader's first official visit to India since taking office.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (Jan 12) held delegation-level talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Ahmedabad during the German leader’s first official visit to India. The German Chancellor is on a two-day official visit to the country, which also coincides with the celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations and 25 years of the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, and is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between India and Germany. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were also present at the meeting. The meeting was held at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The discussions focused on strengthening bilateral ties between India and Germany as the leaders reviewed ongoing cooperation in trade, investment, technology, education, skilling, and mobility and explored collaboration in defence, security, science, innovation, research, and sustainable development. Prior to their meeting, PM Modi warmly welcomed the German Chancellor to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, marking the German leader's first official visit to India since taking office. After his arrival at the Ashram, both leaders paid floral tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Merz also signed the visitors' book there. Following this, both leaders jointly inaugurated the International Kite Festival 2026 at the Sabarmati Riverfront, underscoring the cultural and diplomatic significance of Chancellor Merz's visit to India. They were also seen flying a kite depicting Lord Hanuman. Earlier today, the German Federal Chancellor arrived in India for a two-day official visit, marking the first such visit since assuming office. The visit is expected to build on momentum from regular high-level political interactions and provide an opportunity to reaffirm India and Germany's shared vision to develop a forward-looking partnership for the benefit of both countries and the wider global community. The German Chancellor is in India from January 12 to January 13. On January 13, Merz will visit Bosch, then Nano Science and Engineering, CeNSE, and depart for Germany. PM Narendra Modi and Chancellor Merz last held discussions on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada, where the two leaders agreed to further broaden the bilateral strategic partnership. During that interaction, Prime Minister Modi invited the German Chancellor to an official visit to New Delhi. The visit is also taking place in the lead-up to the India-EU Summit scheduled for January 27.

Prior to their meeting, PM Modi warmly welcomed the German Chancellor to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, marking the German leader's first official visit to India since taking office.

PM Modi, German Chancellor Merz hold delegation-level talks in Ahmedabad

In an unprecedented occurrence, India's workhorse spacefaring rocket PSLV has faced repeat failures - PSLV-C61 on 18th May 2025 and PSLV C-62 on 12th&nbsp;January 2026. On both instances, ISRO lost million-dollar satellites meant to serve national security purposes. As ISRO's workhorse rocket, PSLV has flown 64 times in 33 years, of which it has faced four major failures including the latest. Notably, the 2025 failure and the latest one have been mid-flight failures linked to the third stage of the four-stage spacefaring rocket.&nbsp;&nbsp;Delivering a televised statement from the spaceport on Monday, (12th Jan), ISRO Chief, Dr. V. Narayanan said, "We attempted PSLV-C62 mission. PSLV is a four-stage rocket. The vehicle performance up to almost the end of the third stage was as expected. By the end of third stage, we observed a disturbance in the vehicle, and a deviation was observed in the flight path. We are analyzing the data, we will come back at the earliest."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After the May 2025 launch failure, the ISRO Chief had said, "Up to the second stage, performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr V. Narayanan. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," the ISRO Chief had added back then.&nbsp;<h2>PSLV-C62 was meant to be a comeback flight after May 2025 setback</h2>Monday's PSLV-C62 flight marked PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025, and this is also ISRO's first launch of 2026. In simple terms, the PSLV workhorse rocket was grounded after the May failure last year. On&nbsp; May 17th 2025, the PSLV rocket suffered a mid-flight failure. The PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite, a critical asset meant to enhance India's day and night, all-weather space-based surveillance.&nbsp;The primary satellite of this PSLV-C62 mission was the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite was to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is a Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated by sunlight, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation, concrete structure) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections, classify them and help identify what material it is made of.&nbsp;&nbsp;This technology has immense civilian and strategic applications, as it can scan the Earth based on unique light signatures emitted by materials. In simple terms, it can identify different materials based on their unique reflection fingerprint(spectral signature). Water quality, soil composition, crop health, are among the environmental aspects that can be studied using this technology. Military targets under camouflage can also be detected.&nbsp;In addition to 'EOS-N1', there were be 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV-C62. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space.&nbsp;<h2>PSLV-C61 Failure Analysis Committee report yet to be made public</h2>As a taxpayer-funded civilian space agency founded with the ideals of serving the people of India, ISRO has had the practice of making public the Failure Analysis Committee(FAC) reports. These FAC reports are typically readied by in-house experts within a few months of a mission failure.&nbsp;&nbsp;However, the FAC report related to the May 2025 PSLV-C61 failure has not been publicly released so far. Likewise, the FAC report pertaining to the failure of the NVS-02 strategic satellite in January 2025 remains unreleased to the public. This is widely seen as a departure from the "ISRO culture". However, both these FAC reports are learnt to have been tabled before the Government of India.&nbsp;Given ISRO's role in launching foreign satellites belonging to governments and private firms, FAC reports being made public are crucial for maintaining transparency and re-establishing confidence. It must be emphasized that the PSLV-C61 and PSLV-C62 have failed due to a malfunction in the third-stage, raising questions about quality control and reliability.

India’s PSLV rocket has suffered back-to-back failures in May 2025 and January 2026, both linked to third-stage malfunctions, causing the loss of key national security satellites. The latest PSLV-C62 failure came during ISRO’s first launch of 2026

In an unprecedented occurrence, India's workhorse spacefaring rocket PSLV has faced repeat failures - PSLV-C61 on 18th May 2025 and PSLV C-62 on 12th January 2026. On both instances, ISRO lost million-dollar satellites meant to serve national security purposes. As ISRO's workhorse rocket, PSLV has flown 64 times in 33 years, of which it has faced four major failures including the latest. Notably, the 2025 failure and the latest one have been mid-flight failures linked to the third stage of the four-stage spacefaring rocket. Delivering a televised statement from the spaceport on Monday, (12th Jan), ISRO Chief, Dr. V. Narayanan said, "We attempted PSLV-C62 mission. PSLV is a four-stage rocket. The vehicle performance up to almost the end of the third stage was as expected. By the end of third stage, we observed a disturbance in the vehicle, and a deviation was observed in the flight path. We are analyzing the data, we will come back at the earliest." After the May 2025 launch failure, the ISRO Chief had said, "Up to the second stage, performance was normal. Third stage ignited, but we made an observation regarding its functioning. Mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the data," said ISRO Chief Dr V. Narayanan. "The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid-fuel motor system. There was a fall in the chamber pressure in the motor case. We are studying the entire performance," the ISRO Chief had added back then. PSLV-C62 was meant to be a comeback flight after May 2025 setback Monday's PSLV-C62 flight marked PSLV's return to flight after a rare setback during the previous launch in May 2025, and this is also ISRO's first launch of 2026. In simple terms, the PSLV workhorse rocket was grounded after the May failure last year. On May 17th 2025, the PSLV rocket suffered a mid-flight failure. The PSLV's third stage malfunction led to the loss of the rocket and the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite, a critical asset meant to enhance India's day and night, all-weather space-based surveillance. The primary satellite of this PSLV-C62 mission was the 'EOS-N1' or 'Anvesha', an Earth Observation satellite built by India's Defence Research Development Organization(DRDO). This satellite was to be placed 511kms above the Earth. 'EOS-N1' is a Hyperspectral imaging satellite, which means it can see much more than the human eye or a conventional optical-imaging satellite. As the surface of the Earth gets illuminated by sunlight, different materials(soil, water, metal, vegetation, concrete structure) reflect light, across various wavelengths. A hyperspectral sensor can capture these reflections, classify them and help identify what material it is made of. This technology has immense civilian and strategic applications, as it can scan the Earth based on unique light signatures emitted by materials. In simple terms, it can identify different materials based on their unique reflection fingerprint(spectral signature). Water quality, soil composition, crop health, are among the environmental aspects that can be studied using this technology. Military targets under camouflage can also be detected. In addition to 'EOS-N1', there were be 15 co-passenger satellites aboard the PSLV-C62. Seven satellites are from India, while two of them are from Europe, five of them are from Brazil, and one from Nepal. Many of these satellites are from academia or startups, and are meant to demonstrate unique experiments in space. PSLV-C61 Failure Analysis Committee report yet to be made public As a taxpayer-funded civilian space agency founded with the ideals of serving the people of India, ISRO has had the practice of making public the Failure Analysis Committee(FAC) reports. These FAC reports are typically readied by in-house experts within a few months of a mission failure. However, the FAC report related to the May 2025 PSLV-C61 failure has not been publicly released so far. Likewise, the FAC report pertaining to the failure of the NVS-02 strategic satellite in January 2025 remains unreleased to the public. This is widely seen as a departure from the "ISRO culture". However, both these FAC reports are learnt to have been tabled before the Government of India. Given ISRO's role in launching foreign satellites belonging to governments and private firms, FAC reports being made public are crucial for maintaining transparency and re-establishing confidence. It must be emphasized that the PSLV-C61 and PSLV-C62 have failed due to a malfunction in the third-stage, raising questions about quality control and reliability.

India’s PSLV rocket has suffered back-to-back failures in May 2025 and January 2026, both linked to third-stage malfunctions, causing the loss of key national security satellites. The latest PSLV-C62 failure came during ISRO’s first launch of 2026

Repeat failures for ISRO's PSLV rocket; India loses strategic satellite yet again

Amid intensifying protest in Iran against the regime and reports that several have been arrested including foreign nationals, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, issued a statement clarifying Tehran's position. He dismissed the reports of that at least 6 Indians have been arrested. Terming the report as false, he urged the public to rely only on verified sources. Taking to X, he said that the false news was circulated on some foreign X accounts. Several X users claimed that Iranian government has arrested 10 Afghan and 6 Indian nationals as a part of crackdown against the ongoing protest.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The news circulated on some foreign X accounts about Iran’s developments, is totally false. I request all interested people to get their news from the reliable sources. <a href="https://t.co/mZpxZVYBXR">pic.twitter.com/mZpxZVYBXR</a>&mdash; Iran Ambassador Mohammad Fathali (@IranAmbIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/IranAmbIndia/status/2010409309725995216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, on Saturday (Jan 10) stated that India is closely following the developments in Iran. Amid growing protest, the Indian government on Jan 5, issued a formal advisory urging Indian citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran due to the “recent developments.”<h2>Iran Protest: What we know</h2>People of Iran took to streets amid collapsing economy earlier in December. The protest that was started by traders and shopkeepers as a part of falling rate of Iranian Rial intensified soon, with demands for the removal of the country’s supreme leader and an end to the existing regime. Iran's exiled Crown Prince and son of Shah, Reza Pahlavi has also hinted homecoming. US-based rights group HRANA said that over 500 people have been killed in the protest. The demonstrations are the most significant in Iran since a 2022-2023 movement sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.&nbsp;Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the United States and Israel want to create chaos and disorder in Iran by ordering riots. On Jan 10, the country’s attorney general said that anyone taking part in demonstrations will be treated as an “enemy of God”, a charge that carries the death penalty. Khamenei on Jan 9 called the demonstrators "vandals" and “saboteurs." Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the US and urged people to not be provoked by foreigners. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iranian leaders reached out to negotiate after US military threats. He had warned Iran of military action if protesters are killed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Amid escalating Iran protests, Tehran denied reports of Indians being arrested, calling them false. India said it is monitoring the situation and advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel. Protests sparked by economic collapse have turned into calls to end the regime

Amid intensifying protest in Iran against the regime and reports that several have been arrested including foreign nationals, Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, issued a statement clarifying Tehran's position. He dismissed the reports of that at least 6 Indians have been arrested. Terming the report as false, he urged the public to rely only on verified sources. Taking to X, he said that the false news was circulated on some foreign X accounts. Several X users claimed that Iranian government has arrested 10 Afghan and 6 Indian nationals as a part of crackdown against the ongoing protest.

Amid escalating Iran protests, Tehran denied reports of Indians being arrested, calling them false. India said it is monitoring the situation and advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel. Protests sparked by economic collapse have turned into calls to end the regime

6 Indians arrested in Iran during protest against Khamenei? Here's what Tehran said

Delhiites woke up to another day of dense fog and cold temperature early Monday morning. The minimum temperature in several areas of the city settled below 4 degrees, making it the coldest spell of the winter season so far. In fact some areas recorded temperature below 2 degrees.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) Ayanagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 2.9°C, while Palam recorded a low of 3°C, its lowest in several years.&nbsp;The base observatory of Safdarjung saw the night temperature settle at 4.8°C, which is likely to drop further and settle around 3°C on Monday night. Lodhi Road also saw the minimum settle at 3 degrees while at Ridge the &nbsp;night temperature was 4.2 degrees.&nbsp;According to the IMD, the spell of extreme cold will continue for a couple of days more, with severe cold wave conditions will prevail in isolated parts of north India.&nbsp;While the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the poor category, as the AQI level recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board was 291 at 4 pm.<h2>What are the AQI categories?</h2>0-50: Good51-100: Satisfactory101-200: Moderate201-300: Poor301-400: Very Poor401-500: Severe

The base observatory of Safdarjung saw the night temperature settle at 4.8°C, which is likely to drop further and settle around 3°C on Monday night.

Delhiites woke up to another day of dense fog and cold temperature early Monday morning. The minimum temperature in several areas of the city settled below 4 degrees, making it the coldest spell of the winter season so far. In fact some areas recorded temperature below 2 degrees. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) Ayanagar recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 2.9°C, while Palam recorded a low of 3°C, its lowest in several years. The base observatory of Safdarjung saw the night temperature settle at 4.8°C, which is likely to drop further and settle around 3°C on Monday night. Lodhi Road also saw the minimum settle at 3 degrees while at Ridge the night temperature was 4.2 degrees. According to the IMD, the spell of extreme cold will continue for a couple of days more, with severe cold wave conditions will prevail in isolated parts of north India. While the Air Quality Index (AQI) remained in the poor category, as the AQI level recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board was 291 at 4 pm. What are the AQI categories? 0-50: Good 51-100: Satisfactory 101-200: Moderate 201-300: Poor 301-400: Very Poor 401-500: Severe

The base observatory of Safdarjung saw the night temperature settle at 4.8°C, which is likely to drop further and settle around 3°C on Monday night.

Delhi shivers as minimum temperature settles below 3 degrees, cold spell to continue

Indian security forces picked up movement of suspected drones in several forward areas along the International Border and Line of Control (LOC) in Samba, Rajouri and Pooch districts. Officials said at least five flying objects suspected of being drones were observed hovering on the Indian side before returning to Pakistan, India Today reported.&nbsp;According to officials, security agencies raised alert levels and launched a search operation on the ground after observing drone activities in forward areas, PTI reported.&nbsp;In the Nowshera sector along the LOC in Rajouri district, the Indian troops reportedly opened fire using small and light machine guns after observing a drone movement over the Ganis-Kalsian village area around 6.35 PM.&nbsp;A blinking light resembling a drone was also spotted over Chak Babral village in the Ramgarh sector of Samba around 7.15 pm, while another drone-like object was seen travelling from the direction of Tain towards Topa in the Mankote sector, located along the LoC in Poonch district, at around 6.25 pm, PTI reported, citing officials.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jem-chief-masood-azhar-claims-thousands-of-suicide-bombers-are-ready-to-strike-1768149775065">JeM chief Masood Azhar claims thousands of suicide bombers are ready to strike</a>&nbsp;On Friday night, security forces recovered a cache of arms allegedly dropped by a Pakistani drone in Paloora village of Ghagwal near the International border in Samba district. The recovery included two pistols, three magazines, 16 rounds and a grenade.&nbsp;These activities in Jammu and Kashmir came nearly 8 months after a border standoff between India and Pakistan in May last year, after Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), concluding with a ceasefire on May 10.&nbsp;(This is a developing story; further details are awaited)

Indian security forces picked up movement of a suspected drone in several forward areas along the International Border and Line of Control (LOC) in Samaha, Rajouri and Pooch districts.

Indian security forces picked up movement of suspected drones in several forward areas along the International Border and Line of Control (LOC) in Samba, Rajouri and Pooch districts. Officials said at least five flying objects suspected of being drones were observed hovering on the Indian side before returning to Pakistan, India Today reported. According to officials, security agencies raised alert levels and launched a search operation on the ground after observing drone activities in forward areas, PTI reported. In the Nowshera sector along the LOC in Rajouri district, the Indian troops reportedly opened fire using small and light machine guns after observing a drone movement over the Ganis-Kalsian village area around 6.35 PM. A blinking light resembling a drone was also spotted over Chak Babral village in the Ramgarh sector of Samba around 7.15 pm, while another drone-like object was seen travelling from the direction of Tain towards Topa in the Mankote sector, located along the LoC in Poonch district, at around 6.25 pm, PTI reported, citing officials. Also Read: JeM chief Masood Azhar claims thousands of suicide bombers are ready to strike On Friday night, security forces recovered a cache of arms allegedly dropped by a Pakistani drone in Paloora village of Ghagwal near the International border in Samba district. The recovery included two pistols, three magazines, 16 rounds and a grenade. These activities in Jammu and Kashmir came nearly 8 months after a border standoff between India and Pakistan in May last year, after Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, targeting terror infrastructure across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), concluding with a ceasefire on May 10. (This is a developing story; further details are awaited)

Indian security forces picked up movement of suspected drones in several forward areas along the International Border and Line of Control (LOC) in Samba, Rajouri and Pooch districts.

Suspected Pakistani drones spotted along LoC, IB in Jammu and Kashmir

In a recent judgement, the Supreme Court said laws meant to safeguard children are being misused to reprimand consensual teenage relationships. The court asked the centre to look at introducing a ‘Romeo–Juliet’ clause. This move could help shield adolescent couples from severe criminal action.&nbsp;The case becomes a huge matter of concern as many courts across the country have registered cases in which the girls' age has been wrongly presented as below 18. And this leads to the boy being severely punished under the provisions of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, as the girl is shown to be a minor. Such incidents take place even if the relationship is consensual between the teens.&nbsp;The High Court had directed that in every POCSO case, police must conduct a medical test to determine the age of the victim at the very start of the investigation and that bail courts could examine and even reject school or birth records if they found them doubtful.&nbsp;The court noted, “POCSO Act is one of the most solemn articulations of justice aimed at protecting the children of today and the leaders of tomorrow. Yet, when an instrument of such noble and one may even say basic good intent is misused, misapplied and used as a tool for exacting revenge, the notion of justice itself teeters on the edge of inversion.” “Not only are instances rife where the age of the victim is misrepresented to make the incident fall under the stringent provisions of this law, but also there are numerous instances where this law is used by families in opposition to relationships between young people,” it added, as quoted by Bar and Bench. &nbsp;

The court asked the centre to look at introducing a ‘Romeo–Juliet’ clause. This move could help shield adolescent couples from severe criminal action.

In a recent judgement, the Supreme Court said laws meant to safeguard children are being misused to reprimand consensual teenage relationships. The court asked the centre to look at introducing a ‘Romeo–Juliet’ clause. This move could help shield adolescent couples from severe criminal action. The case becomes a huge matter of concern as many courts across the country have registered cases in which the girls' age has been wrongly presented as below 18. And this leads to the boy being severely punished under the provisions of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, as the girl is shown to be a minor. Such incidents take place even if the relationship is consensual between the teens. The High Court had directed that in every POCSO case, police must conduct a medical test to determine the age of the victim at the very start of the investigation and that bail courts could examine and even reject school or birth records if they found them doubtful. The court noted, “POCSO Act is one of the most solemn articulations of justice aimed at protecting the children of today and the leaders of tomorrow. Yet, when an instrument of such noble and one may even say basic good intent is misused, misapplied and used as a tool for exacting revenge, the notion of justice itself teeters on the edge of inversion.” “Not only are instances rife where the age of the victim is misrepresented to make the incident fall under the stringent provisions of this law, but also there are numerous instances where this law is used by families in opposition to relationships between young people,” it added, as quoted by Bar and Bench.

The court asked the centre to look at introducing a ‘Romeo–Juliet’ clause. This move could help shield adolescent couples from severe criminal action.

Supreme Court asks government to consider 'Romeo-Juliet clause' to shield teenage couples. Here's why

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who has been at the helm of India’s security since 2014, expressed confidence that India will become a developed nation and urged the youth to hone decision-making skills to lead the country forward.

NSA Ajit Doval says he doesn’t use phone or internet; shares views on India’s future and youth

Buoyed by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) successes in recent municipal elections, Union Home Minister on Sunday (Jan 11) said the ultimate goal for the BJP in Kerala is to form a government under the lotus symbol. Addressing a gathering of local body representatives, he described the recent victory in the Thiruvananthapuram local polls as a significant step towards the party's ascent in the state.&nbsp;"This victory is not our goal, but a stepping stone towards achieving our goal. Our ultimate goal is to form a government in Kerala under the lotus symbol and bring a BJP Chief Minister. Our goal is to make Kerala fully developed and to protect Kerala from anti-national forces, to protect the power of faith that has existed in Kerala for centuries," Shah said.&nbsp;The home minister highlighted the BJP's ascent in Kerala with steadily increasing its vote share and victory in recent local body elections.&nbsp;"The people of Kerala are giving their support to the BJP, and our support is growing. In 2014, we received 11% of the vote; in 2019, 16%; and in 2024, 20%. Now, the journey from 20% to 30% and 40% won't be that long, and we will prove this in 2026. We have already achieved this across the country, but now it's Kerala's turn. This time, a BJP Chief Minister will definitely be elected in Kerala. This change in Kerala is not limited to the cities alone."&nbsp;Launching a scathing attack on existing coalitions in the state's politics, Shah said "match-fixing" between the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF stalled Kerala's progress.&nbsp;He further criticised both the coalition for following the remittance-based growth Model for Kerala and pointed out that the BJP and NDA transformed states where they are in power.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-bmc-poll-manifesto-bjp-led-mahayuti-promises-ai-to-track-bangladeshi-rohingya-migrants-1768130229940">In BMC poll manifesto, BJP-led Mahayuti promises AI to track Bangladeshi, Rohingya migrants</a>&nbsp;"Kerala's development should be balanced. The LDF and UDF governments in Kerala are content with the money sent by Keralites working abroad. While I appreciate Keralites working abroad, I want to ask the LDF and UDF whether it is the responsibility of the Kerala government to care for those families whose members don't send money from abroad. Whose responsibility is it to bring about improvements for those millions of people?" Shah said.&nbsp;Last month, the BJP-led NDA created history in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation by wresting control of the civic body and ending the LDF’s four-decade rule. Of the 101 wards in the corporation, the NDA won 50 seats, while the LDF secured 29, the Congress-led UDF 19, and two seats went to independent candidates.&nbsp;The BJP’s breakthrough came as a surprise to both the Left parties and the Congress-led UDF, with the NDA steadily expanding its vote share and emerging as a strong third front in the state. Last year, BJP leader Suresh Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.&nbsp;

Amit Shah said the BJP’s support in Kerala is steadily increasing, and the party’s journey from 20% to 30% and then 40% vote share “won’t take long.”

Buoyed by Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) successes in recent municipal elections, Union Home Minister on Sunday (Jan 11) said the ultimate goal for the BJP in Kerala is to form a government under the lotus symbol. Addressing a gathering of local body representatives, he described the recent victory in the Thiruvananthapuram local polls as a significant step towards the party's ascent in the state. "This victory is not our goal, but a stepping stone towards achieving our goal. Our ultimate goal is to form a government in Kerala under the lotus symbol and bring a BJP Chief Minister. Our goal is to make Kerala fully developed and to protect Kerala from anti-national forces, to protect the power of faith that has existed in Kerala for centuries," Shah said. The home minister highlighted the BJP's ascent in Kerala with steadily increasing its vote share and victory in recent local body elections. "The people of Kerala are giving their support to the BJP, and our support is growing. In 2014, we received 11% of the vote; in 2019, 16%; and in 2024, 20%. Now, the journey from 20% to 30% and 40% won't be that long, and we will prove this in 2026. We have already achieved this across the country, but now it's Kerala's turn. This time, a BJP Chief Minister will definitely be elected in Kerala. This change in Kerala is not limited to the cities alone." Launching a scathing attack on existing coalitions in the state's politics, Shah said "match-fixing" between the CPI(M)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF stalled Kerala's progress. He further criticised both the coalition for following the remittance-based growth Model for Kerala and pointed out that the BJP and NDA transformed states where they are in power. Also Read: In BMC poll manifesto, BJP-led Mahayuti promises AI to track Bangladeshi, Rohingya migrants "Kerala's development should be balanced. The LDF and UDF governments in Kerala are content with the money sent by Keralites working abroad. While I appreciate Keralites working abroad, I want to ask the LDF and UDF whether it is the responsibility of the Kerala government to care for those families whose members don't send money from abroad. Whose responsibility is it to bring about improvements for those millions of people?" Shah said. Last month, the BJP-led NDA created history in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation by wresting control of the civic body and ending the LDF’s four-decade rule. Of the 101 wards in the corporation, the NDA won 50 seats, while the LDF secured 29, the Congress-led UDF 19, and two seats went to independent candidates. The BJP’s breakthrough came as a surprise to both the Left parties and the Congress-led UDF, with the NDA steadily expanding its vote share and emerging as a strong third front in the state. Last year, BJP leader Suresh Gopi won the Thrissur Lok Sabha constituency.

Amit Shah said the BJP’s support in Kerala is steadily increasing, and the party’s journey from 20% to 30% and then 40% vote share “won’t take long.”

‘Ultimate goal is to form government under lotus symbol in Kerala’: Amit Shah

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday demanded a judicial enquiry into the Indore water contamination crisis. Singh stressed that it is CM Mohan Yadav's responsibility to ensure that a judicial probe is conducted into the matter. "There should be a judicial inquiry. Accountability must be fixed so that others get a lesson. A judicial inquiry is required into the matter...It is also the responsibility of the Chief Minister himself," he told reporters. Suspecting corruption behind the issue, Digvijaya Singh further said that the judicial inquiry should determine the facts of the incident and that strict action should be taken against those responsible. "This is a very painful incident, and therefore, the Congress party demands a judicial inquiry conducted by a sitting judge with public hearings. The inquiry should determine the facts of the incident, and strict action should be taken against those responsible. Because this essentially involves the Jal Jeevan Mission... and there is massive corruption involved," he told ANI. Earlier on January 6, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court held a hearing on Indore's Bhagirathpura water contamination case and expressed serious concern over the incident, seeking a detailed report of the matter at the next hearing. The Court also directed the state's Chief Secretary to appear before it through video conferencing on the next hearing scheduled for January 15. The court heard all the petitions related to Bhagirathpura case together, including a petition filed by Indore High Court Bar Association President, Ritesh Inani. The water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura has sparked widespread criticism, as it claimed several lives and affected many families. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance to the families of the deceased and free treatment for all affected people.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Suspecting corruption behind the issue, Digvijaya Singh further said that the judicial inquiry should determine the facts of the incident and that strict action should be taken against those responsible.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday demanded a judicial enquiry into the Indore water contamination crisis. Singh stressed that it is CM Mohan Yadav's responsibility to ensure that a judicial probe is conducted into the matter. "There should be a judicial inquiry. Accountability must be fixed so that others get a lesson. A judicial inquiry is required into the matter...It is also the responsibility of the Chief Minister himself," he told reporters. Suspecting corruption behind the issue, Digvijaya Singh further said that the judicial inquiry should determine the facts of the incident and that strict action should be taken against those responsible. "This is a very painful incident, and therefore, the Congress party demands a judicial inquiry conducted by a sitting judge with public hearings. The inquiry should determine the facts of the incident, and strict action should be taken against those responsible. Because this essentially involves the Jal Jeevan Mission... and there is massive corruption involved," he told ANI. Earlier on January 6, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court held a hearing on Indore's Bhagirathpura water contamination case and expressed serious concern over the incident, seeking a detailed report of the matter at the next hearing. The Court also directed the state's Chief Secretary to appear before it through video conferencing on the next hearing scheduled for January 15. The court heard all the petitions related to Bhagirathpura case together, including a petition filed by Indore High Court Bar Association President, Ritesh Inani. The water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura has sparked widespread criticism, as it claimed several lives and affected many families. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance to the families of the deceased and free treatment for all affected people.

Suspecting corruption behind the issue, Digvijaya Singh further said that the judicial inquiry should determine the facts of the incident and that strict action should be taken against those responsible.

'Judicial inquiry is required into the matter': Digvijaya Singh on Indore water contamination crisis

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday unveiled the manifesto for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and promised a “technology-led governance”, making Mumbai a “global powerhouse” and “freeing” the city from the influx of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants. The manifesto also promised a 50 per cent concession on fares for women in BEST buses. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the document and said they will rope in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and develop an AI tool to identify illegal migrants in the metropolis. “We will free Mumbai of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas,” Fadnavis said, and added, “With the help of IIT, we will develop an AI tool to identify Bangladeshi migrants.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/forces-that-opposed-reconstruction-of-somnath-temple-still-active-need-to-defeat-them-pm-modi-1768126239851">Forces that opposed reconstruction of Somnath Temple still active, need to defeat them: PM Modi</a><h2>‘Japanese tech to tackle civic problems, AI to curb corruption’</h2>&nbsp;Fadnavis added that the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI(A) alliance would combine “Japanese technology” with local administration to tackle civic problems, and “bring services to citizens' mobile phones”.The manifesto also mentions the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to curb corruption.&nbsp;“The city has seen 25 years of inefficiency in civic governance,” he said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ed-moves-sc-over-interference-from-mamata-govt-in-i-pac-raids-bengal-files-caveat-1768053801749">ED moves SC over ‘interference’ from Mamata govt in I-PAC raids, Bengal files caveat</a>&nbsp;The undivided Shiv Sena governed the BMC for nearly 25 years, from 1997 to 2022. After the term of the House ended in March 2022, fresh elections were delayed and the BMC was run by a state government-appointed administrator. “Our goal is a corruption-free municipal corporation,” Fadnavis said at the manifesto release.&nbsp;<h2>‘IIT to help work out drainage plan’</h2>&nbsp;Fadnavis said the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will also be asked to form a research group to study the city’s topography to work out a drainage plan, he said. The plan includes constructing four new underground floodwater tanks and revamping existing drainage lines.&nbsp;The chief minister also promised AI labs in all municipal schools.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/owaisi-shares-dream-of-hijab-clad-pm-bjp-says-don-t-try-to-become-local-mamdani-1768043421235">Owaisi shares dream of hijab-clad PM; BJP says, ‘Don’t try to become local Mamdani’</a>&nbsp;The Mahayuti election manifesto also mentioned a “flood-free Mumbai” plan, promising that the city would be free from inundation within five years. He said a fund of ₹17,000 crore would be pledged for a climate action plan, under which a “circular economy” will be prepared.&nbsp;Speaking on the occasion, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde stressed the preservation of Marathi culture alongside modernisation. He said that a cultural department would be set up in the BMC to promote local art and heritage and announced plans for Marathi libraries, cultural centres and a “Mumbai Fellowship” programme for Marathi youth.Shinde said the school syllabus would include the history of Mumbai and the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, and reiterated plans for the Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical University.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will be roped in to develop an AI tool for identifying illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants in the metropolis, and to study the city’s topography to work out a drainage plan.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra on Sunday unveiled the manifesto for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and promised a “technology-led governance”, making Mumbai a “global powerhouse” and “freeing” the city from the influx of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants. The manifesto also promised a 50 per cent concession on fares for women in BEST buses. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the document and said they will rope in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and develop an AI tool to identify illegal migrants in the metropolis. “We will free Mumbai of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas,” Fadnavis said, and added, “With the help of IIT, we will develop an AI tool to identify Bangladeshi migrants.” Also Read: Forces that opposed reconstruction of Somnath Temple still active, need to defeat them: PM Modi ‘Japanese tech to tackle civic problems, AI to curb corruption’ Fadnavis added that the BJP-Shiv Sena-RPI(A) alliance would combine “Japanese technology” with local administration to tackle civic problems, and “bring services to citizens' mobile phones”. The manifesto also mentions the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to curb corruption. “The city has seen 25 years of inefficiency in civic governance,” he said. Also Read: ED moves SC over ‘interference’ from Mamata govt in I-PAC raids, Bengal files caveat The undivided Shiv Sena governed the BMC for nearly 25 years, from 1997 to 2022. After the term of the House ended in March 2022, fresh elections were delayed and the BMC was run by a state government-appointed administrator. “Our goal is a corruption-free municipal corporation,” Fadnavis said at the manifesto release. ‘IIT to help work out drainage plan’ Fadnavis said the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will also be asked to form a research group to study the city’s topography to work out a drainage plan, he said. The plan includes constructing four new underground floodwater tanks and revamping existing drainage lines. The chief minister also promised AI labs in all municipal schools. Also Read: Owaisi shares dream of hijab-clad PM; BJP says, ‘Don’t try to become local Mamdani’ The Mahayuti election manifesto also mentioned a “flood-free Mumbai” plan, promising that the city would be free from inundation within five years. He said a fund of ₹17,000 crore would be pledged for a climate action plan, under which a “circular economy” will be prepared. Speaking on the occasion, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde stressed the preservation of Marathi culture alongside modernisation. He said that a cultural department would be set up in the BMC to promote local art and heritage and announced plans for Marathi libraries, cultural centres and a “Mumbai Fellowship” programme for Marathi youth. Shinde said the school syllabus would include the history of Mumbai and the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, and reiterated plans for the Hindu Hridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical University.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will be roped in to develop an AI tool for identifying illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants in the metropolis, and to study the city’s topography to work out a drainage plan.

In BMC poll manifesto, BJP-led Mahayuti promises AI to track Bangladeshi, Rohingya migrants

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the forces that had opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat after India gained independence are still active, and the country needs to remain alert, united and powerful to defeat them.The history of Somnath is not that of destruction and defeat but of victory and renewal, but it is the cycle of time that fundamentalist invaders are now reduced to pages of history, but the Somnath Temple still stands tall, the PM said.Prime Minister Modi was speaking at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv held to mark 1,000 years since the first invasion of the Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in the year 1026.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">VIDEO | Somnath: Addressing a gathering at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv celebrations, PM Modi (<a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a>) says, &quot;When Somnath Swabhiman Yatra is completing 1000 years, it also marks 75 years of its restoration in 1951… This Parv is not of the destruction that happened 1000… <a href="https://t.co/hNS6QaPeHz">pic.twitter.com/hNS6QaPeHz</a>&mdash; Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/2010241961480057299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Despite multiple repeated attempts for its destruction over centuries, the Somnath Temple still stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory, the PM added.“The true history of hatred, atrocity, and terror was concealed from us, and we were taught that the attack was an attempt to loot the temple,” PM Modi said. After independence, when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took the oath of rebuilding the Somnath Temple, his path was obstructed, he said.“Those involved in appeasement knelt before such people with extremist mindset, those forces are still present between us who tried to obstruct the rebuilding of the Somnath Temple. We need to remain alert, united and powerful to defeat such forces,” the prime minister said. “Somnath’s tale is the story of India; foreign invaders tried to destroy India many times, like this temple. The invaders thought that they had won by destroying the temple, but after 1,000 years, the flag of Somnath is still flying high,” Modi said.This struggle of 1,000 years has no parallel in world history, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that despite several repeated attempts over centuries for its destruction, the Somnath Temple still stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the forces that had opposed the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple in Gujarat after India gained independence are still active, and the country needs to remain alert, united and powerful to defeat them. The history of Somnath is not that of destruction and defeat but of victory and renewal, but it is the cycle of time that fundamentalist invaders are now reduced to pages of history, but the Somnath Temple still stands tall, the PM said. Prime Minister Modi was speaking at the Somnath Swabhiman Parv held to mark 1,000 years since the first invasion of the Somnath Temple by Mahmud of Ghazni in the year 1026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that despite several repeated attempts over centuries for its destruction, the Somnath Temple still stands today as a powerful symbol of resilience, faith, and national pride, owing to the collective resolve and efforts to restore it to its ancient glory.

Forces that opposed reconstruction of Somnath Temple still active, need to defeat them: PM Modi

A 44-year-old woman was shot dead in northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh on Saturday. Police suspected that the killing was likely to be related to the 2023 murder of her husband, an official said. The deceased woman was identified as Rachna Yadav, a resident of Shalimar Bagh and the resident welfare association (RWA) president of her area. Police also confirmed that she was shot in the head and died immediately.&nbsp;It was revealed that Rachna was originally from Bhalswa village in north-west Delhi, and it was suspected that she was murdered in connection with the killing of her husband, Vijendra Yadav, who was shot dead in 2023. The case is still under trial.&nbsp;"In the 2023 case, Vijendra Yadav was allegedly murdered due to previous enmity. Bharat Yadav and five others were named as accused. While five of the accused were arrested and are facing trial, the main accused, Bharat Yadav, is still absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender," a senior police officer said, news agency PTI reported.<h3>Rachna was a key witness</h3>Police said Rachna was a key witness in her husband’s murder case, and her testimony was crucial for the prosecution. Investigators suspect her killing was intended to weaken the case and instil fear among other witnesses. CCTV footage has emerged in the Rachna Yadav murder case, which reportedly shows the shooter. Police said the accused fled the scene with the help of an accomplice who was waiting nearby on a sports bike with a Delhi registration number, enabling a quick escape.&nbsp;According to officials, a PCR call was received at around 10.59 am at Shalimar Bagh police station reporting that a woman had been shot. Police teams rushed to the location and found Rachna lying on the road in a pool of blood, with an empty cartridge recovered from the spot.&nbsp;Investigators said that as Rachna was returning after meeting a neighbour, two assailants intercepted her. One allegedly stopped her, asked her name, and upon confirmation, shot her in the head before fleeing with his accomplice.&nbsp;Initial inquiry included that the attackers appeared to have prior knowledge about the targeted woman's identity and movements. "Crime Team and FSL teams were immediately called, and the scene of the crime was thoroughly examined. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being scanned to identify the assailants," Additional Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said.&nbsp;"We are re-examining all aspects of the 2023 case and the role of the proclaimed offender (Bharat)," Singh said and added that multiple teams have been formed to find out the shooters and masterminds of the crime. In response, the victim's elder daughter, Kanika Yadav, claimed that the murder was planned by Bharat. "Some of the accused in my father's murder case are lodged in Tihar Jail. Despite that, they are planning such crimes. Bharat Yadav planned and executed my mother's murder," she alleged.&nbsp;Kanika alleged that her mother was killed for refusing to back down as a witness in her father’s murder case. "They were afraid that they would be convicted based on her statement. That is why my mother was killed. My father was murdered in 2023, and the case is still pending before the court," she said.&nbsp;Police said Rachna is survived by two daughters, one married and the younger living with her. Security has been heightened in the area, and further investigations are ongoing.

It was revealed that Rachna was originally from Bhalswa village in north-west Delhi, and it was suspected that she was murdered in connection with the killing of her husband, Vijendra Yadav, who was shot dead in 2023. The case is still under trial.

A 44-year-old woman was shot dead in northwest Delhi's Shalimar Bagh on Saturday. Police suspected that the killing was likely to be related to the 2023 murder of her husband, an official said. The deceased woman was identified as Rachna Yadav, a resident of Shalimar Bagh and the resident welfare association (RWA) president of her area. Police also confirmed that she was shot in the head and died immediately. It was revealed that Rachna was originally from Bhalswa village in north-west Delhi, and it was suspected that she was murdered in connection with the killing of her husband, Vijendra Yadav, who was shot dead in 2023. The case is still under trial. "In the 2023 case, Vijendra Yadav was allegedly murdered due to previous enmity. Bharat Yadav and five others were named as accused. While five of the accused were arrested and are facing trial, the main accused, Bharat Yadav, is still absconding and has been declared a proclaimed offender," a senior police officer said, news agency PTI reported. Rachna was a key witness Police said Rachna was a key witness in her husband’s murder case, and her testimony was crucial for the prosecution. Investigators suspect her killing was intended to weaken the case and instil fear among other witnesses. CCTV footage has emerged in the Rachna Yadav murder case, which reportedly shows the shooter. Police said the accused fled the scene with the help of an accomplice who was waiting nearby on a sports bike with a Delhi registration number, enabling a quick escape. According to officials, a PCR call was received at around 10.59 am at Shalimar Bagh police station reporting that a woman had been shot. Police teams rushed to the location and found Rachna lying on the road in a pool of blood, with an empty cartridge recovered from the spot. Investigators said that as Rachna was returning after meeting a neighbour, two assailants intercepted her. One allegedly stopped her, asked her name, and upon confirmation, shot her in the head before fleeing with his accomplice. Initial inquiry included that the attackers appeared to have prior knowledge about the targeted woman's identity and movements. "Crime Team and FSL teams were immediately called, and the scene of the crime was thoroughly examined. CCTV footage from nearby areas is being scanned to identify the assailants," Additional Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh said. "We are re-examining all aspects of the 2023 case and the role of the proclaimed offender (Bharat)," Singh said and added that multiple teams have been formed to find out the shooters and masterminds of the crime. In response, the victim's elder daughter, Kanika Yadav, claimed that the murder was planned by Bharat. "Some of the accused in my father's murder case are lodged in Tihar Jail. Despite that, they are planning such crimes. Bharat Yadav planned and executed my mother's murder," she alleged. Kanika alleged that her mother was killed for refusing to back down as a witness in her father’s murder case. "They were afraid that they would be convicted based on her statement. That is why my mother was killed. My father was murdered in 2023, and the case is still pending before the court," she said. Police said Rachna is survived by two daughters, one married and the younger living with her. Security has been heightened in the area, and further investigations are ongoing.

It was revealed that Rachna was originally from Bhalswa village in north-west Delhi, and it was suspected that she was murdered in connection with the killing of her husband, Vijendra Yadav, who was shot dead in 2023. The case is still under trial.

Delhi RWA president shot dead in Shalimar Bagh, probe links killing to 2023 husband's murder case

The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to a man in a criminal case filed by his divorce lawyer. The two got involved in a relationship while the latter was representing him in his divorce case. Earlier, the woman was questioned by the bench about her conduct as a lawyer. She was asked why she indulged in an intimate relationship with her client when she was representing him for his divorce.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/deepam-row-tamil-nadu-govt-to-appeal-in-supreme-court-against-madras-hc-order-1767789354243/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/deepam-row-tamil-nadu-govt-to-appeal-in-supreme-court-against-madras-hc-order-1767789354243/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;"Why did you get into this mess?" the bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna asked the lawyer, as quoted by Bar and Bench. This the apex court had asked while protecting the man from arrest in the interim. Looking at the consensual relationship between two consenting adults, the court noted that neither the man nor the woman intended to marry each other, and so a criminal complaint was unwarranted.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-to-decide-future-of-trump-tariffs-tarrif-war-narendra-modi-russia-ukraine-war-donald-trump-1767968173502">US Supreme Court not to issue ruling on future of Trump tariffs on Friday</a>&nbsp;The court remained unconvinced despite the coercive steps initiated against the man, who is an IT professional working in London. The actions included the issuing of a non-bailable warrant, proclamation proceedings, a lookout circular, and even a blue corner notice. It was on Wednesday (Jan 7) that an anticipatory bail was granted to the man in an order passed by the apex court.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-high-court-issues-notice-on-pil-over-data-privacy-violations-by-digital-lending-apps-1767793924086">Delhi High Court issues notice on PIL over data privacy violations by digital lending apps</a> As he currently resides in London, the court clarified that the order would protect him if he returned to India for investigation. It would shield him even if he visits the country for any other purpose. The court also made it clear that the IT professional shall be informed of the investigation dates well in advance. This was mentioned so that he could make necessary travel arrangements. &nbsp;

Earlier, the woman was questioned by the bench about her conduct as a lawyer. She was asked why she indulged in an intimate relationship with her client when she was representing him for his divorce.

The Supreme Court granted anticipatory bail to a man in a criminal case filed by his divorce lawyer. The two got involved in a relationship while the latter was representing him in his divorce case. Earlier, the woman was questioned by the bench about her conduct as a lawyer. She was asked why she indulged in an intimate relationship with her client when she was representing him for his divorce. https://www.wionews.com/videos/deepam-row-tamil-nadu-govt-to-appeal-in-supreme-court-against-madras-hc-order-1767789354243/embed "Why did you get into this mess?" the bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna asked the lawyer, as quoted by Bar and Bench. This the apex court had asked while protecting the man from arrest in the interim. Looking at the consensual relationship between two consenting adults, the court noted that neither the man nor the woman intended to marry each other, and so a criminal complaint was unwarranted. Also read: US Supreme Court not to issue ruling on future of Trump tariffs on Friday The court remained unconvinced despite the coercive steps initiated against the man, who is an IT professional working in London. The actions included the issuing of a non-bailable warrant, proclamation proceedings, a lookout circular, and even a blue corner notice. It was on Wednesday (Jan 7) that an anticipatory bail was granted to the man in an order passed by the apex court. Also read: Delhi High Court issues notice on PIL over data privacy violations by digital lending apps As he currently resides in London, the court clarified that the order would protect him if he returned to India for investigation. It would shield him even if he visits the country for any other purpose. The court also made it clear that the IT professional shall be informed of the investigation dates well in advance. This was mentioned so that he could make necessary travel arrangements.

Earlier, the woman was questioned by the bench about her conduct as a lawyer. She was asked why she indulged in an intimate relationship with her client when she was representing him for his divorce.

Man booked for intimate relationship with his divorce lawyer, Supreme Court grants anticipatory bail

Mumbai is heading into a high-stakes civic election year, and the BJP–Shiv Sena–RPI (A) Mahayuti has now rolled out its vision for the city. 

Ahead of the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the alliance has released a manifesto that puts strong emphasis on infrastructure, public transport, water security and healthcare.

At the core of the Mahayuti’s pitch is a promise to fix Mumbai’s roads once and for all. The alliance has committed to cement concrete roads on major stretches and underground utility ducts to stop repeated digging. 

Big connectivity projects like the Coastal Road and the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road are being projected as solutions to Mumbai’s chronic traffic congestion.

Public transport is another major focus. The manifesto promises to double the BEST bus fleet to ten thousand buses and make it fully electric by 2029. 

Women commuters are being offered a fifty percent fare concession, while buses will be upgraded with CCTV cameras, digital displays and Wi-Fi to improve safety and comfort.

Water supply and flooding — two key concerns for Mumbaikars — also feature prominently. The Mahayuti has promised round-the-clock water supply across the city, with no hike in water tariffs for the next five years. 

Water security and flood mitigation — long-standing concerns for Mumbaikars — form another key pillar. The Mahayuti has promised 24x7 water supply across Mumbai, with no increase in water tariffs for the next five years. 

Cleanliness and environment also get strong emphasis. The alliance has promised garbage-free roads, zero-waste wards, beach and creek clean-ups and stricter dust control at construction sites. 

A 17,000-crore rupees environmental protection plan and air quality display boards at major junctions have been proposed.

Healthcare forms another key pillar of the manifesto. Municipal hospitals are set to be upgraded to AIIMS-level standards, while ‘Aapla Dawakhana’ clinics will be expanded across wards. 

Senior citizens above sixty will get free annual health check-ups, and free screening for cancer, diabetes and blood pressure has been promised.

The manifesto also includes faster housing redevelopment, clearance of pending occupancy certificates, affordable housing for sanitation and government workers, interest-free loans for women entrepreneurs, night patrol squads for women’s safety, startup hubs for youth and AI-based civic services on mobile platforms.

With these promises, the Mahayuti is positioning its manifesto as a roadmap for a faster, cleaner and more liveable Mumbai — setting the tone for what is expected to be a fiercely contested BMC election in 2026.
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

The manifesto by the BJP–Shiv Sena–RPI (A) Mahayuti promises to double the BEST bus fleet to ten thousand buses and make it fully electric by 2029. 

Mumbai is heading into a high-stakes civic election year, and the BJP–Shiv Sena–RPI (A) Mahayuti has now rolled out its vision for the city. Ahead of the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the alliance has released a manifesto that puts strong emphasis on infrastructure, public transport, water security and healthcare. At the core of the Mahayuti’s pitch is a promise to fix Mumbai’s roads once and for all. The alliance has committed to cement concrete roads on major stretches and underground utility ducts to stop repeated digging. Big connectivity projects like the Coastal Road and the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road are being projected as solutions to Mumbai’s chronic traffic congestion. Public transport is another major focus. The manifesto promises to double the BEST bus fleet to ten thousand buses and make it fully electric by 2029. Women commuters are being offered a fifty percent fare concession, while buses will be upgraded with CCTV cameras, digital displays and Wi-Fi to improve safety and comfort. Water supply and flooding — two key concerns for Mumbaikars — also feature prominently. The Mahayuti has promised round-the-clock water supply across the city, with no hike in water tariffs for the next five years. Water security and flood mitigation — long-standing concerns for Mumbaikars — form another key pillar. The Mahayuti has promised 24x7 water supply across Mumbai, with no increase in water tariffs for the next five years. Cleanliness and environment also get strong emphasis. The alliance has promised garbage-free roads, zero-waste wards, beach and creek clean-ups and stricter dust control at construction sites. A 17,000-crore rupees environmental protection plan and air quality display boards at major junctions have been proposed. Healthcare forms another key pillar of the manifesto. Municipal hospitals are set to be upgraded to AIIMS-level standards, while ‘Aapla Dawakhana’ clinics will be expanded across wards. Senior citizens above sixty will get free annual health check-ups, and free screening for cancer, diabetes and blood pressure has been promised. The manifesto also includes faster housing redevelopment, clearance of pending occupancy certificates, affordable housing for sanitation and government workers, interest-free loans for women entrepreneurs, night patrol squads for women’s safety, startup hubs for youth and AI-based civic services on mobile platforms. With these promises, the Mahayuti is positioning its manifesto as a roadmap for a faster, cleaner and more liveable Mumbai — setting the tone for what is expected to be a fiercely contested BMC election in 2026.

The manifesto by the BJP–Shiv Sena–RPI (A) Mahayuti promises to double the BEST bus fleet to ten thousand buses and make it fully electric by 2029.&nbsp;

Faster commute, better health, clean streets: Mahayuti’s Mumbai pitch ahead of BMC elections

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Faster commute, better health: Mahayuti’s Mumbai pitch ahead of BMC elections