India has entered high-level discussions on critical minerals in Washington, signaling a deeper alignment with the US and G7 economies as they seek to reduce dependence on China-dominated supply chains.

Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived in Washington DC on Sunday to participate in a critical minerals ministerial meeting hosted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The meeting is being held on the sidelines of a gathering of finance ministers from the Group of Seven, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, along with the European Union. India and Australia have also been invited.

“Arrived in Washington, DC. Will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial Meeting tomorrow. Secure critical mineral supply chains are vital for our goal of Viksit Bharat,” Vaishnaw said in a social media post.

Professor Nalini Joshi AO, an Indian-origin mathematician, has been named the 2025 New South Wales (NSW) Scientist of the Year.

This marks the first time a mathematician has claimed the state's highest scientific honour, presented at Government House in Sydney on November 19, 2025 as part of the NSW Premier's Prizes for Science.

Joshi, the Payne-Scott Professor and Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of Sydney, is renowned for her pioneering work in integrable systems. Her research delves into complex mathematical patterns that define phenomena from climate science to fibre optics.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the 47th National Junior Boys Handball Championship on Saturday at a government school in Pitampura.

The event, organised by the Handball Federation of India (HFI) and the Delhi Handball Association, was attended by HFI President Shri Mahesh Kumar and local officials. Speaking to athletes from across India, the Chief Minister announced a cash prize of ₹1 lakh for the winning team.

Rekha Gupta highlighted recent shifts in the capital’s sports policy, noting that allowances for state-level players have been increased to remove financial barriers to training. She reiterated the government’s commitment to nurturing talent from the school level through enhanced financial assistance.

A team of scientists led by ‘Frogman of India’ S D Biju has discovered two new frog species. One of the species, found from the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, has been named after Kerala journalist E Somanath, who passed away in 2022.

The new species, ‘Soman’s Slender Arm Frog’ (Leptobrachium soman), was discovered from Tiwarigaon in Arunachal Pradesh.

The other species, ‘Mechuka Slender Arm Frog’ (Leptobrachium mechuka), was also found in the evergreen forests and adjacent grassland. This species is named after Mechuka, a small town in Arunachal Pradesh, where it was first collected.

The Ministry of Textiles unveiled the District-Led Textiles Transformation initiative at the National Textile Ministers Conference in Guwahati on 8th of January, 2026. According to the Ministry of Textiles, it is a strategic initiative designed to catalyse inclusive and sustainable growth across the country’s textile landscape. The move will also help boost exports and create job opportunities. Under the initiative, districts were categorised into Champion Districts and Aspirational Districts.

Champion districts will focus on removing advanced bottlenecks. Interventions include upgrading to Mega Common Facility Centres, integrating Industry 4.0, and facilitating direct Export Market Linkages. The Aspirational Districts would aim to build the ecosystem from the ground up in setting up the foundation and formalisation of the workforce.

Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced two new India Post services, Speed Post 24 and Speed Post 48, which will ensure delivery within 24 and 48 hours. This announcement, made through a programme at Pichor in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, is being considered an important step towards the modernisation of postal services. Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said that Speed Post 24 and Speed Post 48 will set a new standard of punctual, reliable and fast delivery.

In fact, the Central Minister inaugurated the renovated Pichhor sub-office at a cost of 2 lakh rupees and laid the foundation stone and conducted ground-breaking ceremonies for the proposed new sub-office building at a cost of 1 crore 11 lakh rupees. On December 29, 2025, Mr Scindia said that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through the National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS), has rolled out a set of transformative reforms to bolster indigenous manufacturing and testing capabilities.

Mumbai today hosted the fifth edition of the Tri-Services Veterans Day parade at Marine Drive, ahead of Veterans Day to be observed on Wednesday. The event was held between 8 AM and 11 AM and saw the participation of over 500 veterans, including gallantry award winners and octogenarians.

The parade was flagged off by Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, AVSM, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, who attended the event as the chief guest. Senior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with other dignitaries, were present on the occasion.

Mumbai is the only city in the country to host a city-level parade to mark Veterans Day. The event was organised by the Navy Foundation Mumbai Chapter with the support of Headquarters Western Naval Command.

Every year on January 12, India observes National Youth Day to honour the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, a well-known philosopher, spiritual guide, and a major source of inspiration for the country's youth.

In order to inspire youth by linking them to Vivekananda's teachings and promoting their active involvement in nation-building, the Indian government designated this day as National Youth Day in 1984.

National Youth Day 2026 theme

"Ignite the Self, Impact the World" is the theme for 2026, and offers a straightforward, two-step framework approach. The ways that today's youth can put Vivekananda's teachings into practice: Ignite the Self: Pay attention to your own growth.

A Military Civil Fusion (MCF) exercise, ‘Sanjha Shakti’, was held recently at the Khadki Military Station in Pune, involving 16 civil agencies, including the Maharashtra Police’s elite Force One commandos. The exercise focused on addressing complex security challenges and emergency situations.

“A joint Military Civil Fusion (MCF) exercise, Sanjha Shakti was successfully conducted on January 8 and 9, at the Dighi Range, Khadki Military Station, under the aegis of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area of Southern Command. The exercise highlighted seamless coordination and joint preparedness among civil and military agencies to address complex security challenges and emergency situations,” said a press statement issued by the Defence PRO, Pune.

“The exercise witnessed active participation from the Indian Army and 16 key civilian agencies like Maharashtra Police, Force One and Fire Fighting Departments, where more than 350 personnel, excluding army, participated in the exercise. It focused on enhancing interoperability, rapid response, and coordinated action in evolving emergency and security scenarios,” the release added.

The state government has officially renamed the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as the Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary, marking a significant step in conservation efforts. The decision was taken in view of the rich abundance and diversity of butterflies found in the region and the need to preserve their natural habitat.

Following the State Board for Wildlife’s approval and recommendation, the government declared the sanctuary as Kerala’s first ‘Butterfly Sanctuary’, giving it a new identity that reflects its unique ecological importance. The notification of the renaming was published on December 26, 2025.

Aralam Wildlife Warden V Ratheesan said the government is planning to develop a butterfly village by joining four panchayats, including Kelakam, Kanichar, Aralam, and Muzhakunnu, linked to the butterfly sanctuary. He added that various programmes will be organised to promote awareness, conservation, and community participation.