The 15th National Voters’ Day (NVD) will be celebrated across the country on 25th January. This year’s celebration comes soon after the historic and successful conduct of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, the largest democratic exercise in the world. The Election Commission also celebrates 75 years of its dedicated service to the nation.

The event, celebrating the voters of the country again assumes a grand scale this year in light of the fact that India’s total electorate is approaching 100 crore mark. The electoral database now stands at 99.1 crore and counting. The electoral rolls bear a youthful and gender balanced look with 21.7 crores young electors, in the 18-29 age group and a 6-point increase in Electoral Gender Ratio from 948 in 2024 to 954 in 2025.

The Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu will grace the national function in New Delhi as the Chief Guest. Union Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge), Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour, besides the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners leading the event.

India’s space economy has grown to $8 billion and is set to expand to $44 billion over the next decade, according to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, according to a press release issued by the Ministry on Tuesday.

In a conversation with Rajya Sabha Member Vijay Tankha on Sansad TV, Dr. Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s space sector reforms for opening the industry to private investment, enabling significant growth.

Dr. Singh highlighted major milestones, such as the indigenous Gaganyaan Mission, the forthcoming Chandrayaan-4 (2027), Shukrayaan (2028), and the Indian Space Station (2030), marking India’s progress in space exploration. He lauded the role of startups and foreign direct investment (FDI) in driving innovation, mentioning key advancements like SPADEX’s docking capabilities and the Vyom Mitra robo mission, a precursor to human space exploration.

India is projected to account for 16% of global consumption by 2050, up from 9% in 2023, according to a report by McKinsey Global Institute titled “Dependency and Depopulation: Confronting the Consequences of New Demographic Reality.”

By 2050, only North America, with a projected 17% share, will surpass India’s global consumption share. These estimates are based on purchasing power parity, which adjusts for price differences across countries.

India’s rise in global consumption share is primarily attributed to its young and growing population, alongside increasing incomes. The report also highlights a global demographic shift driven by falling fertility rates in advanced economies, leading to ageing populations.

FICCI Frames, India's leading global media and entertainment convention, is all set to celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. Ayushmann Khurrana has been appointed as the brand ambassador for this milestone edition of FICCI Frames.

The actor shared his excitement about being named the brand ambassador, saying, "It is a huge honour for me to be announced as the first Brand Ambassador for FICCI Frames in its silver jubilee year. As someone who arrived in Mumbai from Chandigarh with nothing but dreams in my eyes, I could never have imagined this incredible journey, one where my work has not only touched lives but also become a part of India's rich pop culture tapestry."

AMID A global race to develop hypersonic munitions, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently demonstrated a cutting-edge “active cooled scramjet combustor ground test” for 120 seconds for the first time in India. The successful ground test marks a crucial milestone in developing next-generation hypersonic missiles, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), a Hyderabad-based facility of DRDO, has been working on development of a long-duration supersonic combustion ramjet or scramjet-powered hypersonic technology.

Hypersonic missiles are a class of advanced weaponry that travel at speeds greater than ‘Mach 5’, or more than five times the speed of sound. These advanced weapons have the potential to beat existing Air Defence Systems of major military powers across the world and deliver rapid and high-impact strikes. Several nations including the US, Russia, India and China are actively pursuing hypersonic technology and have demonstrated various levels of development.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on Wednesday said it has inked a pact with professional networking platform Apna for talent hunt to help government-registered startups.

The MoU seeks to provide these startups with credits worth Rs 2,000 each on Apna's platform, according to an official statement.

These credits will support better hiring by enabling job postings and unlocking access to tailored talent pools.

With 7 lakh registrations on the Bhaskar platform of DPIIT, the initiative represents a value of upwards of Rs 140 crore, it said.

"As the number of startups grows within the ecosystem, the value will escalate to Rs 300 crore. The credits will enable startups to access Apna's comprehensive hiring tools, promoting better job matching and efficiency," it added.

In Jammu and Kashmir, in a significant stride to promote tourism and highlight the scenic beauty of the region, the Kathua District Administration yesterday organized the first-ever Winter Festival at the breathtaking Sarthal Valley in the Bani Subdivision. Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports that the first-ever festival was inaugurated by Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, amidst an electrifying atmosphere with over 3500 visitors gathered to celebrate the occasion. The festival showcased an array of engaging activities. The Marquee event ‘Bani Got Talent’ show received an overwhelming response with youngsters displaying their skills. The event provided a perfect platform for showcasing local talent and engaging the community. Speaking on the occasion, the Div Com expressed his admiration for the initiative, emphasizing the importance of such festivals in promoting lesser-explored tourist destinations like Sarthal Valley. He said, ‘The Winter Festival is not just a celebration of culture and adventure but also a step towards realizing the immense tourism potential of this region. He said the UT Government aim to put Sarthal Valley on the map as a sought-after destination for nature and adventure lovers. He informed me that the Sarthal Winter Festival now on will be a calendar event which will gradually get larger in the coming years. He further disclosed that Bani is going to host the inaugural Summer Festival in Dhagger; another picturesque valley of Bani which ultimately will give a huge fillip in the tourist footfall of the region. The highlight of the festival was a spellbinding performance by internationally acclaimed singer Sonali Dogra, who captivated the audience with a soulful blend of Dogri Hindi, and  Punjabi folk songs. The mela also featured Paragliding, Snow skating, Volleyball and other sports activities besides the Sarthal Valley buzzing all day with a host of fun activities.

Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla today reviewed the NIK-SHAY and TB Control Programme being implemented in the state. A team of the State Health Department led by State Health Minister Dr. Sapam Ranjan attended the meeting, which was held at Raj Bhavan in Imphal.

The Governor reviewed the ongoing special 100-day campaign announced by the Prime Minister recently and advised the team on multi-pronged efforts, including doubling patient support, using technology and better diagnostic tools, and exploring newer drugs. He insisted that the special campaign must be a mass movement in the state.

The campaign was launched throughout the country by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare this year to end tuberculosis (TB) in the country by 2025. It aims to increase community involvement in the fight against the disease, to increase awareness about TB, and to reduce the stigma. The campaign also aims to improve living and working conditions for TB patients.

To promote awareness about the Constitution of India and citizens' legal rights, the Department of Justice is organizing a special event at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on January 24, 2025.

The occasion will celebrate the success of the year-long nationwide campaign, "Hamara Samvidhan Hamara Samman" Launched by the Vice President of India on January 24, 2024, in New Delhi,

the campaign was a powerful call to action for every citizen to contribute to the vision of a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047. It also marked India's 75th year as a Republic and the 75th anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution.

India is making significant strides in solar and wind energy capacity with a commitment to achieving 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity by 2030. With the infrastructural push, the country’s non-fossil fuel-based energy capacity has reached 217 gigawatts by the 20th of this month.

Data shows that India is emerging as a global leader in clean energy capacity. According to the New and Renewable Energy Ministry, a record-breaking 24.5 gigawatt of solar capacity and 3.4 gigawatts of wind capacity have been added in the last year. Solar energy remained the dominant contributor to the country’s renewable energy growth, accounting for 47 percent of the total installed renewable energy capacity. Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu emerged as the top-performing states, contributing 71 percent of the country’s total utility-scale solar installations.

The Ministry said, the rooftop solar sector also experienced significant growth last year, with 4.59 gigawatts of new capacity installed, marking a 53 percent increase from the year 2023. The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana played a crucial role in this expansion, facilitating seven lakh rooftop solar installations within ten months since the launch of this scheme.