Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line tomorrow through video conferencing.

These innovations will herald a new era of travelling comfort and enhanced mobility. The driverless trains will be fully automated, which will eliminate the possibility of human error. After the start of driverless services on the Magenta Line between Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden, the Pink Line of Delhi Metro is expected to have driverless operations by the mid of 2021.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the fully operational National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line. This will enable anyone carrying a RuPay – Debit Card issued from any part of the country to travel on the Airport Express Line using that card. This facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.

India were 161 for 4 against Australia on Day 2 of the second Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground, a short while ago.

Stand-in skipper Anjinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant are on the crease, after Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara got out earlier today.

After losing the toss yesterday, India bowled out the hosts for a paltry 195 runs in the first innings. For India, Jasprit Bumrah claimed 4 wickets while Ravichandran Ashwin bagged 3 wickets.

For Australia, Marnus Labuschagne was the highest scorer with 48 runs and he became the first Test scalp of debutant pacer Mohammad Siraj. Mohammad Siraj picked two wickets.

India made four changes with Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj  making their Test debuts. Also, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant returned to the playing Eleven, in place of Wriddhiman Saha, Prithvi Shaw and Mohammed Shami.

India trail 0-1 in the series after going down by eight wickets in the opening day-night test in Adelaide.

In Jammu and Kashmir, two terrorists have been killed in an encounter with security forces in the Kanigam area of Shopian.

DGP Dilbagh Singh said, the slain terrorists belonged to Al-Badr outfit. The encounter broke out after security forces launched a search operation in the area following specific input. They had joined the terror outfit in July-August this year.

The date of CBSE board examinations for 2021 will be announced on 31st of this month. In a tweet, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said he will announce the date for CBSE board exams on the 31st of December.

Every year, the Central Board of Secondary Education conducts board exams in the month of February and March and releases the datesheet in November.  However, this year, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the board exams timetable has been delayed. Mr Pokhriyal had recently informed that the CBSE board exams will be conducted after February and in offline mode.

The farmer unions have proposed to hold another round of talks with the government on Tuesday at 11 AM.

Briefing reporters at Singhu border Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav said, all farmer leaders and all farmer unions’ representatives who are protesting against farm laws have mutually decided to hold another round of talks with the Centre.

On Thursday, the Central government had written to the protesting farmers unions and invited them for fresh talks.

Joint Secretary in the Agriculture Ministry Vivek Agrawal had reiterated the government’s commitment to discuss and find a solution to all the issues raised by the farmers. Mr Agarwal had asked farmer Unions to decide the date and time for the next round of talks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio at 11 AM today. It will be the 72nd episode of the monthly radio programme.

It will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News website  and newsonair Mobile App.

It will also be streamed live on the YouTube channels of AIR, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

AIR will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast. The regional language versions will be repeated at eight in the evening.

Protest rallies were carried out in different cities across Balochistan on Wednesday against the killing of prominent leader and activist Karima Baloch in Canada.

Hundreds of people including activists gathered in various places in Quetta and Hub City demanding a fair probe by the Canadian government into Karima’s sudden death.

Karima, a vocal critic of the Pakistan Army and government atrocities in Balochistan, was found dead in Toronto.

The Baloch activist had arrived in Canada in 2016 and campaigned extensively against disappearances and human rights violations in the troubled Balochistan province.

Free Balochistan Movement said that the disappearance and murder of Karima Baloch in Canada is a matter of grave concern and shock for all.

In a statement, Free Balochistan Movement said that due to the atrocities of Pakistan, Baloch refugees were forced to migrate to neighbouring Afghanistan.

It urged the UN refugee agency to take steps to protect and assist the Baloch refugees. 

Health Ministry has issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Epidemiological Surveillance and Response for a new variant of SARS- CoV 2 virus, which has been reported by the UK government to World Health Organization (WHO).

This variant is estimated by European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) to be more transmissible and affecting younger population.
This variant is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations. One of the most significant  mutation is in the spike protein that the virus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor.

Changes in this part of the spike protein may result in the virus becoming more infectious and spreading more easily between people.
The SOP describes the activities to be undertaken at the point of entry and in the community for all International passengers who have travelled from or transited through UK in the past four weeks from 25th November to till date. Any reference to testing in this SOP implies RT-PCR testing only.

The flights from UK are suspended temporarily from 23rd December till 31st December or till further orders.

All the passengers travelling from or transiting through airports in UK and disembarking in India during the intervening period from 21st to 23rd December would be subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival.

In case of a positive sample, it is recommended that spike gene-based RT-PCR test should also be performed.

Passengers testing positive will be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in a separate isolation unit coordinated by the respective State Health Authorities.

Necessary action to send the samples to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune or any other appropriate lab for genomic sequencing will be initiated at the facility level.

If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 then the patient will be kept in the separate isolation unit and treated as per the clinical protocol.

Those who are found negative on testing with RT-PCR at the airport would be advised quarantine at home.

Prior to check-in, the traveler will be explained about this SOP and In-flight announcements must also be made.

Those international travelers from UK who arrived in India since last one month will be contacted by District Surveillance Officers and monitored in community.

State Governments and Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme will ensure that all the contacts of those travelers from UK or transiting through UK in last four weeks will be traced and monitored.

They will also be tested as per protocol and contacts of positive cases would be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centers for effective isolation and monitoring. 

India has leaped across a significant milestone in its fight against COVID.

With a continuous decline in the number of active corona cases, the active caseload in the country today has further decreased to stand at 2.80 per cent.

The active cases in the country witnessed a decline of nearly 5,400 cases in the past 24 hours to stand at around 2.83 lakh.

The number of new daily cases remained even below 25 thousand with 24, 712 cases being reported in the last 24 hours.

The national cumulative recovery rate has also further improved to be at 95.75 per cent with recovery of over 96.93 lakh people so far.

With recovery of nearly 30 thousand people in the last 24 hours, the number of daily recoveries continue to outnumber the new daily cases.

The total recovered cases in the country today stands at over 34 times the number of active cases.

The Health Ministry has informed that enhanced countrywide medical infrastructure, implementation of the Centre’s Standard Treatment Protocol by the States and Union Territories and total dedication and commitment of doctors, paramedics and frontline workers have led to a persistent increase in the number of total recoveries in the country.

The Health Ministry has said that this has also led to a commensurate dip in the fatality rate which stands at 1.45 per cent.
It informed that 312 case fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has also approved Rs. 59,048 Crore post matric scholarship scheme for more than four Crore Scheduled Castes students in 5 years.

Briefing media, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot said, the Central Government will spend Rs. 35,534 Crore for it which is 60 per cent and the balance 40 per cent will be spent by the State Governments.

It is estimated that 1.36 Crore such poorest students, who are currently not continuing their education beyond 10th standard would be brought into the higher education system in the next 5 years.

The Cabinet also approved the merger of Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children’s Film Society, India with the  National Film Development Corporation.

Mr Javadekar said, the Cabinet has approved revision in guidelines for providing DTH services in India. He said, DTH licence will be issued for 20 years in place of present 10 years.

Licence fee will be collected quarterly basis instead of an annual basis.

Mr Javadekar said, the Cabinet also approved an ordinance for extending National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act for another 3 years, giving protection to unauthorised colonies from punitive action in Delhi.

The Cabinet also gave its nod for signing the revised Air Services Agreement between India and Philippines.

It also gave its approval for signing the revised Air Services Agreement between India and Afghanistan.

A memorandum signed by more than 3 lakh farmers submitted to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar extending support to new farm laws.

Confederation of NGOs of Rural India’s delegation handed over the memorandum containing more than 3 lakh 13 thousand signatures of farmers to Mr Tomar in New Delhi yesterday.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Tomar said there is enthusiasm among the farmers across the nation with respect to the new agri-laws.
He said, these reforms were long overdue. Mr Tomar said, because of Prime Minister Narendra  Modi’s determination that the necessary reforms can be seen taking shape on the ground.

He said that empowering the rural agrarian economy is government’s duty and will continue to remain so in future.

The minister said there are several important agri-reform works that have been done over the past six years and the scholars who are working in agriculture sector have always recommended such reforms.

He said, the aim of these reforms is to raise farmers income, to provide them an independent market, to attract younger generation towards agriculture and to increase the contribution of agriculture in the country’s GDP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the next instalment of financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) tomorrow through video conferencing.

With the push of a button, the Prime Minister will enable the transfer of more than Rs. 18 thousand crore to more than 9 crores beneficiary farmer families.

Prime Minister will also have a conversation with farmers from six different States during the event.

The farmers will share their experiences about PM-KISAN and also on various other initiatives taken by the government for the welfare of farmers.

Union Agriculture Minister will also be present on the occasion.

Under the PM-KISAN Scheme, a financial benefit Rs. 6,000 per year is provided to small and marginal farmers, payable in three equal 4-monthly installments of Rs. 2,000 each.

The fund is transferred directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Speaking about the event, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said, on December 25, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary is celebrated as Sushashan Diwas, good governance day.

He said, after Mr Modi became Prime Minister, many steps have been taken to promote good governance, ease of living and transparency.

He said, DBT is an important scheme for good governance and transparency.

The Minister said, there was a time when out of Rs. 100 sent by the government only Rs. 15 used to reach villages but Modi Government managed to send full Rs. 100 to people directly through DBT.

Mr Tomar said Modi government is committed to strengthening the agriculture sector.

He said, representatives of the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India today met him and submitted 3,13,363 signatures taken across one lakh villages in support of the three farm laws enacted by the Centre recently.

Memorandum signed by over 3 lakh farmers submitted to Agriculture Minister extending support to new farm laws.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that India is spreading message emanating from Visva-Bharati to the whole world.

He said, India is the only major country which is moving in right direction to achieve environmental targets set under the Paris Agreement.

It is also leading the world in environmental protection through International Solar Alliance.

Prime Minister Modi was addressing the centenary celebrations of the Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan through video conferencing.

The Prime Minister is the Chancellor of the University.

He said Gurudev’s vision for Vishwa Bharati is also the essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat, which is the path of India’s welfare for world welfare.

Prime Minister Modi said Gurudev wanted  that the world should benefit from what is best in India and that what is good in the world, India should also learn from it.

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank were also  present during the event.

Founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared a Central University and an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in May 1951.

Gurudev founded the University with a noble vision. Visva-Bharati acknowledges India’s obligation to offer to others the hospitality of her best culture and India’s right to accept from others their best.

The University follows the pedagogy devised by Gurudev Tagore, though gradually it evolved in the format in which modern Universities developed elsewhere.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has assured Bangladesh of complete cooperation in ensuring barrier-free trade between the two countries.
 
Addressing India-Bangladesh Digital Conference on Agriculture Sector on Tuesday, Mr Goyal said, India has offered duty-free market access to Bangladesh on many products, including, agri-exports.
 
He said that together we can aspire for a better and brighter future for the people of both the countries, particularly for the farmers of both countries to benefit from economic prosperity.
 
The Minister said, both the countries share warm and cordial relationship, based on mutual trust and friendship which goes beyond the arithmetic of economic gains and losses.
 
He said that this partnership stands out as a role model in the region, for good neighbourly relations.
 
Mr Goyal said, the ties between the two country’s have witnessed an upswing in the last six years.
 
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina share a common vision and pro-business policies which have enhanced governance in the two countries. 

In Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, out of 280 District Development Council DDC constituencies, result  of 276 seats has been  declared. 

BJP is leading the tally with 74 seats followed closely by J&K National Conference with 67 seats. 

Independents have won 49 seats, Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party 27, Indian National Congress 26 while J&K Apni Party has bagged 12 seats and J&K People’s Conference 8 seats.

CPI(M) has got 5 seats while JKPM  bagged 3 seats  and J&K National Panthers Party and PDF  won two seats each.

Bahujan Samaj party(BSP) has won one seat.