Authored by: K Shiva
Bangladesh Mourns Khaleda Zia: Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia (80) was buried at the Jatiya Sansad in Dhaka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter expressing that her passing leaves an "irreplaceable void" in India-Bangladesh relations.
India-China Mediation Refusal: India officially refuted China's claim of mediating between India and Pakistan during the recent "Operation Sindoor". The Ministry of External Affairs maintained that no such mediation or trade deal discussion took place.
Maldives Airport Upgrade: The Maldives has requested a $136.6 million upgrade for its northern airport, featuring a 2,465-metre runway capable of handling Airbus A320 aircraft.
Iran Protests: Iran’s prosecutor general stated that while economic protests are legitimate, any attempt to create insecurity would face a "decisive response".
Vodafone-Idea Relief: The Union Cabinet approved a five-year freeze on Vodafone Idea Ltd.’s adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues, amounting to ₹2,87,695 crore.
Indore Water Crisis: The death toll from contaminated municipal water in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has reached 10, with over 2,000 people falling ill.
SC Aravalli Intervention: The Supreme Court stayed its own previous order that had restricted the definition of the Aravalli Range, citing concerns about stripping environmental protection from thousands of hills.
Army's Animal Contingent: For the first time, a curated animal contingent including Bactrian camels and Zanskar ponies will debut at the 2026 Republic Day parade.
Telangana Godavari Water Defense: Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted that Telangana has taken proactive legal measures to prevent Andhra Pradesh from unilaterally diverting Godavari waters.
A.P. Polavaram Progress: Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu announced that 87% of the Polavaram Project is now complete, with 13% finished in just the last 18 months.
GHMC Restructuring: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is likely to be split into three separate corporations—Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri—after February 2026.
Andhra Power Milestone: The state's power sector reported reducing distribution losses to 9.6% and average procurement costs to ₹4.90 per unit.
Karimnagar (Monkey Menace): A 55-year-old woman died after falling while trying to escape a pack of monkeys in Lingapur village.
Bhogapuram (Flight Test): The greenfield international airport at Bhogapuram is scheduled for a commercial flight validation test on January 4, 2026.
Markapuram (New District): New nameboards were installed in Markapuram town to mark its official formation as a new district in Andhra Pradesh.
Tirupati (Vaikuntha Ekadasi): Thousands of devotees thronged temples in Tirupati for 'Uttara Dwara Darshan'; Vontimitta alone witnessed over 50,000 visitors.
Vijay Hazare Trophy Baroda Win: Baroda posted its highest List A total of 417/4 in a win over Hyderabad, featuring centuries from Nitya Pandya, Amit Pasi, and Krunal Pandya.
Deepti Sharma Record: Deepti Sharma became the format's leading wicket-taker in women's T20Is with 152 wickets, surpassing Australia’s Megan Schutt.
ICC Test Rankings: Mitchell Starc climbed to joint-second spot among bowlers, while Harry Brook moved up to No. 2 among batters.
World Rapid Chess: Koneru Humpy settled for a bronze medal in the World Rapid Championship held in Doha.
'Osey Balamma' Sundance Selection: The Telugu short film has been selected for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Satirist Sreenivasan Tributes: The film industry continues to mourn the legendary Malayalam actor-director known for his political satire.
Bihar Film Policy: The Bihar government approved the shooting of 37 films and web series under its 2024 Film Promotion Policy.
Trikarana Suddhi: A philosophical concept of purity in thought, word, and deed.
Chillai Kalan: The traditional name for the harshest 40-day winter period in the Kashmir valley.
Word of the Day: Fortuitous — Happening by chance rather than by intention.
Hype: Promoting a product aggressively or overpraising something.
Do you know that the Indian space economy is projected to grow from $8 billion to $44 billion in the coming years?.
Do you know that nearly 10% of India's population is concentrated in Uttar Pradesh?.
Do you know that the 85th edition of Hyderabad’s "Numaish" exhibition opens today, with proceeds supporting 30,000 students in 19 institutions?.
Speech Pathologist Merit List: The Telangana MHSRB released a provisional merit list for the recruitment of Speech Pathologists.
AIIMS Ph.D. Admissions: Online applications are open for the Ph.D. program at AIIMS Bhubaneswar with 34 vacancies.
Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue: A new platform for youth to contribute directly to national policy-making.
🎆 New Year 2026
Global Transition: Millions gathered worldwide to ring in 2026; in Hyderabad, crowds gathered at the Secretariat plaza to celebrate.
Numaish Inauguration: The 85th All India Industrial Exhibition (Numaish-2026) begins today in Hyderabad, inaugurated by CM Revanth Reddy.