The Home Minister launched welfare schemes for the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel.

Mr. Shah visited the border outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector and inspected the arrangements made by the BSF to curb infiltration. Mr. Shah interacted with the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel guarding the frontier.

The Home Minister’s visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to scuttle infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, and stepped up anti-terror operations that left four hardcore Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) dead in nearly a dozen encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts over the past two weeks.

The Home Minister also e-inaugurated and laid the e-foundation of six welfare schemes for the BSF personnel from Bobiya border outpost and interacted with the BSF officers and jawans on the International Border and took feedback on the situation.

Later in the day, the Home Minister will chair a comprehensive high-level security review meeting at Lok Bhavan Jammu today after his return from the International border to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting will be attended by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, heads of paramilitary forces, Police and civil administration and intelligence agencies, among others. The Home Minister will also distribute compassionate appointment letters and meet the families of martyrs at the Lok Bhawan.

Mr. Shah will also review the development of Jammu and Kashmir at a high-level meeting tomorrow morning. LG Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior officers of MHA and civil administration from J&K will attend the development review meeting.

The Minister said the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 to help address the Child Sex Ratio and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum. She said, it aims not only to address immediate concerns related to sex ratio and gender-based discrimination but also to foster a cultural shift towards valuing the girl child and ensuring her rights and opportunities.

Mr Shah reached Jammu last night on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha received the Home Minister on his arrival at the Jammu airport. 

During the visit, Mr Shah will meet security agencies and administrative officials to evaluate the overall law and order situation and also assess the progress of ongoing development initiatives.

The Home Minister will visit the International Border at Hiranagar in Kathua district today to inspect new installed gadgets and equipment deployed by the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent cross-border infiltration. He will visit BSF outposts in Bobia and Gurnam. 

In addition, the Minister will meet with the families of fallen soldiers and hand over appointment letters at Lok Bhavan in Jammu. 

In the afternoon, Mr Shah will chair a high-level meeting to review the security situation. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, top officials of the Union Home Ministry, heads of paramilitary forces and senior officers of civil and police administration, besides Intelligence agencies from Jammu and Kashmir will attend the meeting.

Tomorrow, the Home Minister will leave for Srinagar where he will launch various development projects for Jammu and Kashmir. 

This will be Mr Shah’s second high-level review of the security scenario in the Union Territory in less than a month. He assessed the situation during a meeting in New Delhi on 8th of last month.  

Mr Singh, in his article, reflected on the country’s journey under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Minister highlighted the country’s journey as a People-First Republic, where democracy is not only ‘of the people’ and ‘by the people’, but also steadfastly ‘for the people’. 

Around 2,500 artists representing different states and dressed in colourful attire showcased India’s rich cultural diversity through folk and classical forms. The theme of today’s Republic Parade was “Swatantrata Ka Mantra – Vande Mataram,” reflecting the song’s journey from the freedom movement to a symbol of national unity. 

Appointment letters were distributed to 300 selected candidates from organisations including CRPF, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal, Assam Rifles, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, and IIGM. These newly appointed youth, selected from various parts of the country, will join different Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and contribute towards strengthening governance and improving public service delivery.

In a social media post, the Embassy of India in Ethiopia said that the meeting was an excellent dialogue on ongoing collaboration, ways to further deepen India-Africa partnership. It added that discussions focused on strengthening cooperation within the framework of the India-Africa Forum Summit, guided by the spirit of South-South cooperation. The discussion also stressed on India’s continued commitment to advancing close ties, friendship and cooperation with the African region.

Mr Kumar said that SIR has been successfully completed in Bihar and is presently being smoothly conducted in 12 States and Union Territories.

He also informed that SIR will soon be rolled out in the remaining States as well. The CEC noted that there was not a single appeal filed against the final electoral roll in Bihar, establishing its sanctity and credibility.

Recognising the imperatives of the digital age, Mr Kumar said that the Commission has made all elector services available to citizens on a single platform through the ECINet App. He added that this initiative reflects the Commission’s technological commitment and administrative competence.

The CEC also noted that the recently concluded India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) was attended by heads and senior officials of Election Management Bodies from over 70 countries, along with ambassadors from several nations. He added that this initiative not only reflects India’s global commitment, but also firmly establishes its strong leadership on the international stage.

The Chief Election Commissioner urged the young electors to vote without fail, to become ambassadors of democracy themselves, and to inspire others to participate in the electoral process. He also called upon the young voters to lead the fight against misinformation, disinformation, and false narratives.

After a long wait, the weather in Himachal Pradesh has finally changed with the activation of a western disturbance. Most parts of the state are witnessing the season’s first widespread and heavy snowfall, while the lower regions have experienced rain and strong winds. This has led to a sharp drop in temperatures and intensified cold wave conditions across the state. Snowfall has been continuing since last night in the tribal and high-altitude areas.

In the state capital, Shimla, snowfall has been ongoing since early morning. Tourist town Manali has also received its first snowfall of the winter, creating great excitement among visitors. The impact of snowfall is clearly visible in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Chamba, as well as the higher areas of Mandi and Sirmaur districts. The change in weather has brought smiles to the faces of farmers and orchardists.

Experts say adequate cold conditions will have a positive impact on fruit quality and production. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for heavy snowfall and rain at some places in Chamba, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti districts today. A yellow alert has been issued for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Solan, Sirmaur, and Mandi districts due to the possibility of hailstorms. According to the department, bad weather conditions may continue in the state tomorrow as well.

Senior BJP leader and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asserted that Tamil Nadu was ready for a change of government. He said that the DMK regime had failed to deliver development and was marked by corruption, crime and dynastic politics.

Addressing a public meeting at Maduranthakam, Mr Modi said the DMK government could be described as “CMC – Corruption, Mafia and Crime,” and claimed it had ignored the welfare of youth, farmers and women, besides failing to respect Tamil cultural values. He alleged that drug mafias were active in the state and that women’s safety had deteriorated. Mr Modi said the NDA government had allocated 11 lakh crore rupees to Tamil Nadu over the past 11 years for development, including a sevenfold rise in rail projects, 50,000 Kisan Credit Cards, six crore Mudra loans and direct benefit transfers, and earmarked three lakh crore rupees for MSMEs.

Promising rapid development under a double-engine government, the Prime Minister said better coordination between the Centre and the state would ensure effective implementation of welfare schemes. The meeting was also addressed by AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

The India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) concluded today in New Delhi. The three-day international conference brought together over 100 foreign delegates from various countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Maldives, Botswana, Fiji andthe Czech Republic.

Addressing the closing session, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar read out the Delhi Declaration 2026, which was unanimously adopted by the Election Management Bodies. The EMBs resolved to work together on the five pillars of the declaration relating to Purity of Electoral Rolls, Conduct of Elections, Research and Publications, Use of Technology and Training and Capacity Building. Mr Kumar said that pure electoral rolls containing names of all eligible electors as per the law are the foundation of any democracy. CEC added that election management bodies should thrive to provide a photo identity card to all electors for easy and transparent conduct of elections.

Mr Kumar further added that India is willing to share its vast experience in the field of elections across all sectors through training and the exchange of its transparent practices.

During the three-day conference, the commission held bilateral discussions with several delegations from various countries. Talking exclusively to Akashvani News, President of the Election Commission of the Maldives, Mohamed Zahid, said that India and the Maldives held detailed discussions on key aspects of election management. He added that these included sharing experiences, training of election officials and collaboration in research related to democracy and electoral processes.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Fiji, Justice Usaia Ratuvili, said that India has offered technical assistance and cooperation to support capacity building related to elections.

During the three-day conference, the Election Commission launched ECINET, a comprehensive digital platform to facilitate citizen engagement and participation in the electoral process. The platform connects citizens, candidates, political parties, and election officials, offering all key election services on one secure platform. During the conference, various thematic sessions, Election Management Bodies Working Group Meetings, and EVM Demonstrations were .also held

The President further asserted that Swami Vivekananda instilled national pride among Indians and inspired the youth to contribute to nation-building. President Murmu wished that his teachings would continue to inspire humanity. Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary is celebrated as National Youth Day.

 Himachal Arki Cylinder Blast Fire: A massive fire broke out in Arki, Solan district, Himachal Pradesh. A fire broke out last night in the lower market of Arki. Approximately 15 houses were reduced to ashes, and a child was burned to death. Currently, it is feared that 8-9 people are missing.

Solan . A massive fire has broken out in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Several cylinders exploded, setting the lower Arki market ablaze. So far, a seven-year-old child has been burned to death, while eight to nine people are missing. The body of the seven-year-old child has been recovered. Relief and rescue operations are currently underway. Hospitals have been alerted.

Congress MLA from Arki, Sanjay Awasthi, said that the fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. and so far one child has died. This child is a migrant from Bihar. SDRF teams have also been called to the scene.

According to reports, a fire broke out last night in the lower main market of Arki. Within moments, the blaze escalated, destroying several shops one after another. Several cylinders also exploded during the blaze, causing panic in the market. Local residents immediately informed the administration and fire department. Several fire brigade vehicles arrived at the scene and began efforts to control the fire, but the continuous explosions posed significant difficulties for the firefighters. Property damage in this massive blaze is feared to be worth crores of rupees.

According to reports and information received so far, a Nepali family in a house in the market had slept overnight with a burning stove in the room, and this is where the fire started. However, the exact cause will only be known after an investigation. Arki MLA Sanjay Asthari stated that the fire has been brought under control. He added that 15 houses have been reduced to ashes.