Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary, remembering her as one of India’s bravest and most visionary rulers whose courage, sacrifice, and leadership continue to inspire generations.

Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister said, “Tributes to Rani Velu Nachiyar on her birth anniversary. She is remembered as one of India’s most valiant warriors who embodied courage and tactical mastery.”

He further added, “She rose against colonial oppression and asserted the right of Indians to govern themselves. Her commitment to good governance and cultural pride is also admirable. Her sacrifice and visionary leadership will keep motivating generations.”

India has become the world’s largest producer of rice, surpassing China. This was stated by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi yesterday. He said India’s rice production has reached 150.18 million tonnes, compared to China’s 145.28 million tonnes. Mr Chouhan said India is now supplying rice in overseas markets.

The minister unveiled 184 improved varieties of 25 field crops developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at an event held in the national capital. The 184 released varieties include 122 cereals, 6 pulses, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, 6 sugarcane, 24 cotton, and one each of jute and tobacco.

Addressing the event, Mr Chouhan said the country has achieved great success in the development of high-yielding seeds. The Agriculture Minister also directed officials to ensure that these new varieties reach farmers quickly. Elaborating on 184 advanced varieties, the minister said that farmers will benefit as they will help in achieving higher yields and better quality of produce. He emphasised the need to ensure that high-quality seeds reach every farmer’s field. The minister also asked farm scientists to focus on increasing the production of pulses and oilseeds to make India self-sufficient.

Actor and well-known production controller Kannan Pattambi died on Sunday night while undergoing treatment for a kidney-related illness. He was 62.

The news of his death was confirmed by his elder brother, filmmaker Major Ravi. The actor took his last breath at around 11:40 p.m. at a private hospital in Kozhikode.

The funeral will be held on Monday at 4 p.m. at his residence in Njanganthiri, Pattambi.

Major Ravi shared the sad news on Facebook through a post written in Malayalam. Along with a photo of Pattambi, he informed followers about the time of death and funeral details and paid tribute to his younger brother.

Acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson’s blockbuster One Battle After Another bagged the Best Picture award at the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night. The evening also saw Anderson win the Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay awards.

The director, while accepting the Best Picture honour, credited the cast and crew for the film’s success. “Does anybody have anything that they want to say, to save me?” he asked the cast at one point. “Because, OK, I’d say this is the best time I've ever had making a movie. And I feel like it shows it’s just a testament to being with people that you love. Because, as somebody said earlier, this is fine, and this is fun, but it really is about the people that you work with it that’s all that there is at the end of the day,” as quoted by E! News.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued fresh guidelines making incorporation of QR codes mandatory in road signage, which will provide details of who manufactured the signage and what materials were used, in order to ensure uniformity and improve visibility.

As part of the guidelines, issued on January 1, the PWD has asked its staff to make it a point that the tendering process includes the condition that all future road signage would have to incorporate QR codes.

“The retro-reflective signage should include a QR code mandatorily. The label/QR code should be printed on the bottom right corner of the signage containing details such as the manufacturer’s name, manufacturing date, reflective sheeting code, warranty information, etc,” read the order issued by PWD.

The Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government on Thursday said Haryana has registered a 13-point improvement in sex ratio at birth (SRB) in 2025, increasing the birth sex ratio to 923 from 910 in 2024, in what signals a turnaround in the state’s fight against sex-selective abortions. This is the highest in the last five years.

Haryana had recorded the cumulative SRB of 923 for the first time in 2019 and the 13 points jump registered in 2025 is a third highest single-year gain in a decade. The bounce back in SRB is being seen as a psychological boost to those involved in the state’s “save the girl child” fight.

According to Civil Registration System (CRS) data (excluding delayed registrations) till December 31, 2025, the improvement came despite a slight rise in total births from 5,16,402 in 2024 to 5,19,691 in 2025. The state recorded 3,289 more births in 2025 than 2024, including the birth of 3,362 more girls while birth of boys were 73 less in 2025 in comparison to 2024.

Union Home Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for a series of development projects worth ₹373 crore undertaken by the Andaman and Nicobar Union Territory administration at Sri Vijaya Puram. He also inaugurated an exhibition showcasing the three new criminal laws.

The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Admiral D. K. Joshi (Retd.), Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and other senior officials.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said the Andaman and Nicobar Islands occupy a unique place in India’s freedom struggle, noting that many freedom fighters endured imprisonment, torture and martyrdom at the Cellular Jail during British rule. He said the Veer Savarkar memorial and the eternal flame at the Cellular Jail convey to the world the story of sacrifice and courage of India’s freedom fighters.

In a remarkable wildlife discovery, researchers in Karnataka have documented an ultra-rare leopard colour morph in the Vijayanagara district, marking only the second confirmed sighting of such a big cat in India and the first in the state. The elusive animal, named the “Sandalwood Leopard" by conservationists, is distinguished by a pale reddish-pink coat with light-brown rosettes, a striking deviation from the typical tawny coat of Indian leopards. The discovery has drawn fresh attention to Karnataka’s rich biodiversity and the diversity of its leopard population.

The sighting was made by Sanjay Gubbi and his team from the Holematthi Nature Foundation (HNF), who captured images of the female leopard, estimated to be 6–7 years old, through camera traps as part of ongoing research on leopard diversity in the state. In later images, the leopard was photographed with a cub exhibiting the usual tawny coat with black rosettes, highlighting the uniqueness of the adult female’s coat.

“Everyone wins when the team wins,” said PM Modi while inaugurating the 72nd National Volleyball Championship in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, via video conferencing on Sunday.

A total of 58 teams from 28 states are participating in the tournament, which will conclude on January 11.

Stressing the need for the ‘Team First’ formula to achieve big goals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that volleyball is a sport that gave out the message that 'no victory' is ever achieved alone.

India’s leading cooperative in the fertiliser sector, IFFCO, conferred the IFFCO Sahitya Samman 2025 on renowned Hindi writer Mrs. Maitreyī Pushpa. At the same ceremony, the IFFCO Young Literary Award 2025 was presented to Mrs. Ankita Jain for her book “Oh Re! Kisan”.

The awards were given on 30 December 2025 at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, by IFFCO Chairman Mr. Dilip Sanghani.

Maitreyī Pushpa was born on 30 November 1944 in Sikurra village of Aligarh district. Her early life was spent in Khilli village of Jhansi district. She completed her M.A. in Hindi Literature from Bundelkhand College, Jhansi.

She has made a significant contribution to Hindi literature through her short stories, novels, autobiographical works, women’s writings, poetry, plays, memoirs, and reportage. Many of her works strongly reflect rural life, agriculture, women’s issues, and changing Indian realities.