Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that a third district would be formed in the state.

The state currently has two districts — South Goa and North Goa. The third district will comprise the four hinterland talukas of Sangeum, Dharbandora, Quepem and Canacona, which currently fall under the South Goa district. The headquarters for the third district will be located in Quepem.

The Goa Cabinet had approved a proposal for the creation of the new district in July this year.

Currently, North Goa district comprises five talukas — Bardez, Tiswadi, Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari. South Goa has seven talukas — Ponda, Mormugao, Salcete, Sanguem, Dharbandora, Quepem and Canacona.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday successfully conducted a salvo launch of two indigenously developed Pralay missiles in quick succession from the same launcher off the coast of Odisha.

The flight tests were carried out at around 10:30 am on December 31 as part of user evaluation trials. According to officials, both missiles precisely followed their intended trajectories and met all mission objectives. Their performance was confirmed by tracking sensors deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, while terminal events were validated through onboard telemetry systems installed on ships positioned near the impact points.

Pralay is a solid-propellant, quasi-ballistic missile equipped with advanced guidance and navigation systems to ensure high accuracy. The missile is capable of carrying multiple types of warheads and engaging a variety of targets, enhancing the operational flexibility of the armed forces.

Gujarat government on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has given an in-principle approval for setting up Indian AI Research Organisation (IAIRO) at GIFT City in Gujarat that will focus on cutting edge AI research and development. among other activities.

The IAIRO will be established through a tripartite partnership involving the Gujarat government, Government of India and Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA). A budget of approximately ₹300 crore has been fixed for this project for the first five years, in which the State, centre and the private partners will contribute 33.33 per cent each. IPA which has joined as the anchor private partner for IAIRO will contribute ₹25 crore for the year 2025-26, an official statement from Gujarat government stated.

Set up as a non-profit entity under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, the IAIRO will be operationalised through a Special Purpose Vehicle in GIFT City from January 1, 2026. The IAIRO’s core activities will include cutting edge AI research and development, AI-based products and solutions development, collaboration between academic institutions, industries, start ups and the government. In addition, IAIRO will also focus on intellectual property creation, capacity building and policy-based research. It will operate under a hybrid compute model, integrating on-premise GPU infrastructure with national platforms like IndiaAI Cloud, the government added.

The drug-resistant fungal species Candida auris is turning more deadly and is spreading globally, according to a study led by Indian researchers.

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen with a unique ability to grow and persist on human skin.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, University of Delhi, in collaboration with a team at the National Institutes of Health in the US, showed that invasive fungal infections are spreading across the globe and gaining in virulence, affecting about 6.5 million people per year.

These infections are frequently associated with high mortality rates, often exceeding 50 per cent, even with antifungal therapy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in New Delhi on Saturday.

The Piprahwa Relics, discovered in the late 19th century, are widely believed to be associated with the mortal remains of Gautama Buddha, enshrined by the Shakya clan. Their repatriation and public display reflect the country’s continued efforts to protect its cultural patrimony and promote the universal values of peace, compassion, and enlightenment embodied in the Buddha’s teachings.

The Culture Ministry said, the event marks an important moment in the country’s cultural and diplomatic history, as the relics on display include repatriated sacred relics of immense historical, archaeological, and spiritual significance, revered by Buddhist communities across the world. The Ministry is organising a landmark cultural exposition titled Lotus Light: Relics of the Awakened One, showcasing the revered Sacred Piprahwa Relics along with significant associated antiquities.

Indian Railways on Wednesday (December 31, 2025) announced the successful completion of the final high-speed trial of the indigenously designed and manufactured Vande Bharat Sleeper Train.

The trial was conducted on the Kota-Nagda section, during which the train achieved a top speed of 180 kmph, according to an official statement.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also shared a video of the trial run on social media platform X.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the construction of a six-lane, access-controlled greenfield corridor connecting Nashik, Solapur and Akkalkot in Maharashtra at a total cost of ₹19,142 crore.

The 374-kilometre-long project will be developed on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll mode and aims to improve regional and inter-state connectivity while strengthening India’s integrated transport infrastructure under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.

The proposed corridor will connect major regional centres including Nashik, Ahilyanagar and Solapur, with onward connectivity to Kurnool. It is planned to link with key national highways and expressways, including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near the Vadhawan Port interchange, the Agra-Mumbai corridor at Nashik, and the Samruddhi Mahamarg near Pangri. Once completed, the corridor will provide seamless connectivity between India’s west and east coasts.

The Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC-ITS) at Ahmedabad Civil Medical College has created history by completing 500 kidney transplants in a single year, setting a new national benchmark in the public healthcare sector.

With this achievement in 2025, IKDRC-ITS has emerged as the only public sector hospital in India to perform 500 kidney transplants in one year, reinforcing its position as the country’s leading government-run kidney transplant centre.

Operating under the guidance of the Gujarat government’s Health Department, the institute has become a beacon of hope for economically weaker patients while remaining at the forefront of advanced medical technology. This milestone has earned IKDRC the top rank among public hospitals in India in the field of kidney transplantation.

Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC), the flagship initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has set a new benchmark, with registrations crossing 3 crore participants as of December 30, 2025, according to the Education Ministry.

The registrations include students, parents and teachers from across the country, marking the highest participation since the programme’s inception. The surge reflects the initiative’s growing reach and its role in addressing issues related to exam stress, mental well-being and positive learning attitudes among students.

Online registrations for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 opened on December 1, 2025, through the MyGov portal. Organised annually by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education, the programme has evolved into a nationwide platform for open dialogue on examinations and education-related challenges.

The Delhi Government has approved the Delhi Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026. Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta informed that the Bill, approved by the Delhi Cabinet, aims to simplify compliance procedures and decriminalise minor violations, reduce the number of cases in the courts and enhance administrative efficiency.

She said that the Bill will be passed in the upcoming winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly starting from the 5th of next month. Mrs Gupta said that through this legislation, the Delhi Government is fully committed to promoting Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living.

The Chief Minister said that the Bill is not intended to encourage lawlessness, but to ensure proportionality in punishment. The Bill also proposes an automatic 10 per cent increase in the amount of fines every three years after its implementation, so that penalties remain effective in line with inflation and rising costs.