China has unveiled its first ocean drilling vessel, the Mengxiang, which is designed to delve into the Earth's crust and explore the mysteries of the mantle. If successful, this will mark humanity's first exploration into the upper mantle. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the massive ship, aptly named "dream" in Chinese, has been created by the China Geological Survey along with over 150 research institutes and companies. It represents a significant stride in deep-sea drilling capabilities, aiming to reach where humanity has never ventured before.

According to SCMP, the colossal ship can carry about 33,000 tonnes of cargo and measures 179 metres (590 feet) long. The vessel can traverse 15,000 nautical miles and operate for 120 days per port call. Its stability and structure are designed to withstand the strongest tropical cyclones, enabling it to operate anywhere in global waters. Moreover, its drilling power is the best in its class, with the ability to reach 11,000 metres below the sea's surface.

Supreme Court judge, Justice BR Gavai has been nominated by the National Legal Services Authority as the Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

The Department of Justice issued a notification to this effect on December 29, 2023.

The post was earlier held by the Supreme Court's senior-most puisne judge, Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Justice Khanna was recently appointed Executive Chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

Outgoing Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SJ Singh received the Guard of Honour at South Block Lawns in Delhi.

Outgoing Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SJ Singh also laid a wreath at the National War Memorial in Delhi.

He will take charge as the next Western Navy Commander succeeding Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has been appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Indian Navy.

Earlier on December 26, the Indian Navy commisioned the INS Imphal, a Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. The INS Imphal is the third of four indigenous 'Visakhapatnam' class destroyers, being designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.

All services of local body governments in Kerala will be available on mobile screen from January 1, 2024, as the state launches its ambitious digitisation initiative, K-Smart.

The e-governance project, the Kerala Solutions for Managing Administrative Reformation and Transformation (K-Smart), will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on January 1, making Kerala the first state to launch such a service.

The K-Smart platform, developed by the Information Kerala Mission for the Local Self-Government Department, will facilitate numerous services, including applications for various certificates and permits, filing complaints, and other options.

Present Union Health Secretary and 1991 batch IAS officer, Sudhansh Pant has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. Pant is currently the Secretary, health and family welfare in central government and has served as the Shipping secretary earlier.

His vast experience in strategic planning, particularly in the health sector, played a pivotal role in his selection for this crucial administrative role.

Pant's contributions to the ministry included playing a key role in controlling the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak, showcasing his leadership during the challenging times of the pandemic.

The Union Government has extended the term of Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra for the third time and appointed Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant as the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, one of the three states where the BJP won a resounding victory in the recent Assembly polls.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Saturday evening, just days after the Conference of Chief Secretaries was held in Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mishra, a 1984-batch UP cadre IAS officer, was due to retire December 31; his tenure has been extended for a period of six months until June 2024.

L-G V K Saxena Saturday presided over the formal launch of ‘Samvaad @Raj Niwas’, an interactive dialogue initiative that has been in practice since he took over last May. Nearly a hundred imams, aalims and muezzins from mosques across the city were part of the programme, where they interacted with the L-G, Raj Niwas officials informed.

“In the 18 months since Saxena took over, he has met more than 50,000 people belonging to varied sections in formal and informal gatherings at Raj Niwas, averaging about 3,000 per month,” an official said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik started the new year with a 26-km roadshow in Bhubaneswar followed by inaugurating phase 1 of the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project worth Rs 6,000 crore.

Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone, Patnaik said: “This new year day will always remain special in the history of Odisha’s development journey.”

“The metro project will usher transformation in the urban transportation. It will connect Bhubaneswar with Cuttack, the old capital of Odisha. I have promised for metro project which I have been fulfilling today,” Patnaik added. The metro project is expected to be completed in four years.

Gujarat has set a Guinness record for performing mass Surya Namaskar simultaneously at 108 places in the state on the first day of the new year today. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Minister for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghavi attended the State level event that took place at the iconic Sun Temple in Modhera in Mahesana district.

People of Gujarat scripted history by performing mass Surya Namaskar simultaneously at 108 places in the state with the first ray of Sun on the first day of the new year, today. The places include 51 historic sites of the state. More than 2500 people performed Surya Namaskar at the state-level function held at the iconic Modhera Sun Temple. The function also witnessed the felicitation of the winners of the state-level Mega Surya Namaskar Competition. This month-long competition was organized for the first time in the state by the Gujarat State Yog Board and the state government to popularise Surya Namaskar practice among people.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday flagged off 200 electric buses from Guwahati. He termed the initiative as the government's one of the biggest push towards a pollution-free environment.

"In one of our biggest pushes towards a pollution-free environment in Assam, I dedicated 200 AC e-Buses today which will ply across Guwahati and adjoining areas," CM Sarma said while addressing the media.

"By 2025, we want to establish Guwahati as the country's first city to be powered by a 100 per cent green public transportation system. This new fleet builds upon the 100 CNG buses dedicated to the New Year," he added.