Highlights include the Army grounding Dhruv helicopters for safety checks, the US lifting nuclear trade curbs on Indian entities, and Delhi set to announce election dates today.
Experts say no need to fear HMPV: Virologist Gagandeep Kang talking to Businessline said that the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is not a new virus and has been in India for two decades. She assured that there was no need to panic. Meanwhile, the country has reported 7 cases of HMPV, two from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and one case from Gujarat.
Centre’s statement on HMPV: On Tuesday, the Centre examined the nation's respiratory disease outbreak situation and issued an advisory for all the states. The government declared that the virus is not new and has been in circulation throughout the country for many years. However, infants may experience severe symptoms as they are encountering it for the first time. Children below 3 years of age and immunocompromised people were advised to exercise caution.
Army suspends ALH choppers following crash incident: Following Sunday's Coast Guard helicopter crash in Porbandar, the military's over 330 ‘Dhruv’ Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) fleet has been temporarily suspended for safety inspections.
Sullivan announces removal of nuclear trade restrictions on Indian govt entities: The United States will remove long-standing restrictions on Indian nuclear entities to facilitate deeper civil nuclear cooperation with American companies, said US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday.
Read more:
Publisher
Anita Anand, a frontrunner for the Canadian PM post: Following Justin Trudeu’s resignation from the Prime Minister post, the Indian-origin Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand has emerged as the frontrunner to fill up the post till the elections are concluded in 2025.
China defends Brahmaputra mega dam near border: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China’s planned hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo River has undergone scientific evaluation and will not harm downstream countries, amid Indian concerns over its impact.
UGC issues draft regulations for 2025: On Monday, the University Grants Commission (UGC) released its 2025 draft regulations that open the doors for non-academics to become Vice-Chancellors of universities.
Read more:
Publisher
Electoral roll released in Delhi, election dates to be announced today: Delhi had eight lakh new voters added to the electoral just in the last one year. According to the data shared by the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office, around five lakh more applications are still pending with the CEO's office. The election dates will be announced at 2pm on Tuesday, the Election Commission confirmed.
CDPQ to raise $400 million for India infrastructure investment trust: According to the Times of India, the Canadian pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) is in preliminary discussions with a few international institutional investors in order to secure funds for its infrastructure trust in India.
Big Four's Indian arms exceed global growth: Indian arms of the Big Four — Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG — outpaced their global counterparts in 2024. Their combined revenue is expected to surpass ₹45,000 crore ($5.4 billion) by 2025, according to assessments verified by The Economic Times.
Adani Group partners with Indorama for petrochemical venture: Adani Enterprises Limited has formed a joint venture with Thailand's Indorama Resources to develop a $3 billion purified terephthalic acid project in Maharashtra, The Economic Times reports.
Meta challenges ₹213 crore fine over WhatsApp’s privacy policy in NCLAT: Meta Platforms has moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) to contest a ₹213 crore (approx. $25.7 million) fine imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged abuse of its dominant position related to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy policy. The tribunal is set to hear the case on January 16 with Meta requesting an urgent review.
Sachin Bansal explores sale of Ola stake: Sachin Bansal, cofounder of Flipkart, is in talks to sell his stake in Ola for a valuation of $4 billion, with proceeds aimed at his fintech venture Navi, reports The Economic Times.
It's not just stubble burning, CSE warns of worsening Delhi pollution: A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) analysis reported by The Times of India reveals Delhi's annual PM2.5 concentration rose by 3.4% to 104.7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2024, reversing a declining trend seen from 2018 to 2022.
Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes Tibet-Nepal border: A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit near the Tibet-Nepal border early on Tuesday, killing at least 53 people and causing several buildings to collapse. The earthquake, with an epicentre 93 km northeast of Lobuche, Nepal, also triggered tremors in Bihar and parts of North India. Aftershocks of magnitude 4.7 and 4.9 were recorded shortly after the initial tremor.
ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on 8-9 January to inaugurate, and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over ₹2 lakh crore ($2.4 billion) in Visakhapatnam and inaugurate the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention in Bhubaneswar.
On Monday, PM Modi outlined plans for high-speed rail, including the first bullet train, as part of efforts to modernise transport infrastructure with initiatives like the Vande Bharat trains and Dedicated Freight Corridor.
PM Modi met Microsoft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Satya Nadella on Monday to discuss key areas of technology, innovation, and artificial intelligence.
Delhi Today: Hazy.
There was a thick layer of fog on Tuesday early morning as temperatures dropped amid a cold wave. The minimum temperature forecast for the day was 8 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 19 degrees Celsius.
