Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on Republic Day 2025 on Sunday, wishing that the occasion would strengthen efforts towards preserving the ideals of the Constitution. "Happy Republic Day. Today, we celebrate 75 glorious years of being a Republic. We bow to all the great women and men who made our Constitution and ensured that our journey is rooted in democracy, dignity and unity. May this occasion strengthen our efforts towards preserving the ideals of our Constitution and working towards a stronger and prosperous India," PM Modi posted on X. Happy Republic Day. Today, we celebrate 75 glorious years of being a Republic. We bow to all the great women and men who made our Constitution and ensured that our journey is rooted in democracy, dignity and unity. May this occasion strengthen our efforts towards preserving the… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 26, 2025 India celebrates Republic Day 2025 on January 26 as its Constitution took effect on this day in 1950. India will celebrate its 76th Republic Day on Sunday, in a grand showcasitstry's unique blend of rich cultural diversity, unity, equality, development and military prowess at Kartavya Path in the national capital. President Droupadi Murmu will lead the country's celebrations. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will grace the occasion as the Chief Guest. Around 10,000 Special Guests are invited to witness the parade, in line with the government's objective to increase 'Jan Bhagidari' in events of national importance. These Special Guests from different walks of life are the architects of 'Swarnim Bharat'. They include the best performers in various fields and those who have made the best use of the schemes of the government. For the first time ever, a tri-services tableau will show the spirit of jointness and integration between the armed forces, having the theme of 'Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat.' The tableau will depict a Joint Operations Room facilitating networking and communication among the three Services. The parade will start at 10:30 AM and will continue for about 90 minutes. The ceremony commences with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the National War Memorial, where he will lead the nation in paying solemn tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. The PM will come to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade. The parade will then begin with the President taking the salute. It will be commanded by Parade Commander Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, a second-generation officer. Major General Sumit Mehta, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command. President's Bodyguard, the senior most Regiment of the Indian Army, will escort the President of India and her Indonesian counterpart as they arrive at Kartavya Path. The two Presidents will arrive in the 'Traditional Buggy.' As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a thunderous 21-gun salute using 105-mm Light Field Guns, an indigenous weapon system. The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will follow, which include Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav (retd) and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar (retd), and Ashok Chakra winner Lt Col Jas Ram Singh (retd). The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy, while the Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice. The Marching contingent of Indonesia's Military Academy will also take part in the parade, consisting of 152 members and 190 members in the military band. The first Army contingent leading the Mounted Column will be of 61 Cavalry, led by Lt Ahaan Kumar. Raised in 1953, the 61 Cavalry is the only serving active Horsed Cavalry Regiment in the world, with the amalgamation of all the 'State Horsed Cavalry Units'. It will be followed by nine Mechanised Columns and nine marching contingents. Brigade of the Guards, The Jat Regiment, The Garhwal Rifles, The Mahar Regiment, The Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Regiment and the Corps of Signals. One of the most eagerly-awaited events of the parade, the Fly-past will witness a breath-taking air show by 40 aircraft/helicopters - 22 fighter jets, 11 transport aircraft and seven helicopters of the Air Force, including Rafale, Su-30, Jaguar, C-130, C-295, C-17, AWACS, Dornier-228 & An-32 aircraft and Apache & Mi-17 helicopters. The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of balloons carrying banners with the official logo depicting 75 years of the Constitution coming into effect.
26 January,2025 09:35 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA female Sangai deer died at the Delhi zoo after sustaining injuries on Saturday morning, with a senior official describing the incident as "unusual and accidental". The deer is estimated to be aged between two and three. A nilgai (blue bull) was also injured, the officials said. Zoo Director Sanjeet Kumar said, "The death of the female deer was unusual and accidental." On the incident involving the nilgai, he said that dominant males had already been separated. Sources at the zoo attributed the death to mismanagement. A source said that during the estrus period, hormonal changes in animals often lead to increased tension and aggression. Deer have not been segregated yet, the source said. On January 2, a one-horned rhinoceros named Dharmendra brought from the Assam zoo as part of an animal exchange programme died under "mysterious circumstances" at the Delhi zoo. On December 28, a nine-month-old white tiger cub succumbed to "traumatic shock and acute pneumonia". The Delhi zoo houses more than 90 different species. It is home to over 1,000 birds and animals including leopards, lions, wolves, Asiatic elephants and chinkaras. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 08:13 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIIn a tragic incident, a Class 10 girl died after a monkey pushed her off the rooftop of her house in Bihar's Siwan district. The mishap occurred in Maghar village under the jurisdiction of the Bhagwanpur police station on Saturday afternoon. The deceased Priya Kumar was studying on the rooftop while basking in the sun due to the cold weather. According to eyewitnesses, a group of monkeys appeared on the rooftop and began harassing her. Fear paralysed Priya, preventing her from escaping. When villagers created a commotion, she mustered the courage to run towards the stairs. However, a monkey reportedly jumped aggressively and pushed her with force, causing her to fall from the rooftop. Priya sustained critical injuries, including severe trauma to the back of her head and other parts of her body. She lost consciousness due to the impact. In a desperate attempt to save her, Priya’s family rushed her to Siwan Sadar Hospital for treatment. Tragically, doctors at the hospital declared her dead upon arrival, citing multiple injuries as the cause of death. Sujeet Kumar Chaudhary, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Bhagwanpur police station, confirmed the incident and shared details of the investigation: “When we learned about the incident, we went there for the investigation. The family members admitted the girl to Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared her dead due to multiple injuries. The family members refused to conduct a post-mortem in this case and have not lodged any complaint against anyone,” Chaudhary stated. Villagers recounted the incident, expressing shock and sorrow. They explained that the monkeys had been creating disturbances in the area for some time, and their aggressive behaviour ultimately led to this fatal accident. The girl's family and the local community are mourning the loss of life, while concerns about increasing human-wildlife conflict in the region are growing. Priya Kumari, a Class 10 student, was preparing for her upcoming matriculation exams. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 08:11 AM IST | Patna | IANSA 27-year-old married woman living in her maternal house allegedly threw her nine-month-old child off roof Saturday morning, police said. According to an officer, Anju Devi had a row with her sister during which she threw the boy off the top of their two-storey house in Krishna Nagar locality. Ballia Superintendent of Police Omvir Singh said the infant was rushed to the district hospital, where the doctors declared him dead. Police have detained Anju Devi and are questioning her. A case has been registered against her under Section 105 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS based on the complaint of the child's grandmother Shobha Devi. According to police, Anju Devi had a love marriage and had been staying with her mother at her house for the last two years. Anju's elder sister Manisha had also been living at the same house for the past two months. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 08:11 AM IST | Ballia (UP) | PTIEight companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) from Gujarat have been deployed for the coming Delhi assembly elections, an official said on Saturday. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal earlier in the day tweeted about and questioned the decision. SRPF companies reached Delhi on January 13 as per the order of the Election Commission, Commandant SRPF, Bhachau, Tejas Patel said. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s national convener Kejriwal tweeted a circular issued by the office of the Additional Director General of Police (DGP), Armed Unit, regarding deployment of SRPF for Delhi election. "Read this order of Gujarat Police. Election Commission has removed Punjab Police from Delhi and deployed Gujarat Police. What is going on?" he said in his post on X. His tweet came a day after the Punjab Police personnel deployed for his personal security were withdrawn, which he said was "pure politics." There should not be any politics at least over personal safety and security, he added. Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said that component of the state police deployed for Kejriwal's security was withdrawn following directions from the Delhi Police and EC. Polling for all 70 assembly seats in Delhi will be held on February 5 and the votes will be counted on February 8. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 08:09 AM IST | Ahmedabad | PTIArmy troops exchanged fire with terrorists in the higher reaches of Jammu & Kashmir’s Kathua district in the early hours of Saturday, officials said, as a massive search operation is underway to trace out the ultras who fled after the initial fire-fight. The alert sentry post of a temporary Army camp in Batod panchayat detected the movement of suspected terrorists at around 1.20 am and opened fire, the officials said. They said the terrorists fired back and the intermittent exchange of fire continued between the two sides for nearly half an hour. However, there was no casualty on either side, the officials said, adding that the terrorists, believed to be three in number, fled into a nearby forest. They said the Army troops have launched a cordon-and-search operation to track down the terrorists and further details are awaited. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 08:02 AM IST | Jammu | AgenciesA three-judge bench of the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on January 28 a plea moved by former councillor and February 2020 Delhi riots accused Tahir Hussain, seeking interim bail to campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls in the capital. Hussain failed to secure interim bail on January 22, after a two-judge bench of the apex court gave a split verdict. According to the cause list of January 28 uploaded on the court’s website, the plea is slated to come up for hearing before a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta. The Delhi HC granted custody parole to Hussain on January 14 to file his nomination papers from the Mustafabad constituency on an AIMIM ticket. It had, however, declined his plea for interim bail from January 14 to February 9 to contest the February 5 election, saying the gravity of the allegations against Hussain, being the main perpetrator in the violence that resulted in the death of several people, could not be overlooked. The HC said 11 FIRs were lodged against Hussain in connection with the riots and he was admittedly in custody in a related money-laundering case and a case registered under the UAPA. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 08:00 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesIndia is set to showcase its military prowess and rich cultural heritage and display a symbolic confluence of “virasat” and “vikas” on Kartavya Path here to mark the 76th Republic Day on January 26 when the nation will also commemorate the platinum jubilee of the enactment of the Constitution. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will be the chief guest on the occasion and the ceremonial parade will also see participation of a marching contingent and a band contingent from Indonesia. He will be the fourth Indonesian president to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations. Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, was the chief guest at India’s first Republic Day celebrations in 1950. While 75 years of the Constitution is the focus of celebrations this year, the theme for the tableaux is “Swarnim Bharat: Virasat aur Vikas”. Sixteen tableaux from across states and Union Territories and 15 from central ministries, departments and organisations will roll down the ceremonial boulevard on Sunday. The country will display its military prowess by showcasing some of the cutting-edge defence platforms including BrahMos, Pinaka and Akash, with the Army’s Battle Surveillance System “Sanjay” and DRDO’s surface-to-surface tactical missile “Pralay” set to register their presence in the ceremonial parade for the first time. T-90 “Bhishma” tanks Sarath (infantry carrying vehicle BMP-II), Short Span Bridging System 10m, Nag Missile System, multi-barrel rocket launcher system “Agnibaan” and “Bajrang” (light specialist vehicle) will also be part of the parade, officials said on Thursday. The parade will see many other firsts as well, such as the tri-services tableau that will depict the spirit of “jointness” among the armed forces. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 January,2025 07:59 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAn 18-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by her brother-in-law and two others in Nashik city of Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported. According to the police, the woman was sexually assaulted on the pretext of arranging a guarantor to secure bail for her jailed husband. The incident took place in the Panchavati area of Nashik between 10 am on Wednesday and 5 pm on Thursday, the police said, adding that during her 31-hour ordeal, the survivor was also thrashed by the accused, causing her to become unconscious a few times. She managed to escape from their clutches and approached the police later, PTI reported. While two of the accused have been arrested, the woman's brother-in-law, who is elder to her husband, is absconding. Two more persons are suspected to be involved in the incident, they said. As per the complaint lodged by the woman, she got married a few months ago. As she was still a minor at the time, her family lodged a complaint against her husband at MIDC Police Station in the Andheri area of Mumbai. A case was then registered against him and he is currently in a jail in Mumbai, PTI reported. Recently, the woman's brother-in-law called her to Nashik, where he stays, on the pretext of arranging a guarantor for her husband's bail and release from the prison. Accordingly, she reached Nashik around 8.30 am on Wednesday, a police officer said. There, her brother-in-law and the other accused took her to an open ground in Panchavati area under the pretext of meeting her husband's guarantor. They also offered her food, but after she refused to accept it, they tied her to a tree. Around 1.30 pm, they beat her up and one of them raped her, following which she fell unconscious, her complaint stated. When the woman regained consciousness around 7.30 am on Thursday, she found it difficult to talk and walk. She tried to escape, but the accused thrashed her again and she lost her consciousness again. Her ordeal continued till 5 pm that day, her complaint further stated. The teen also alleged that when the trio was consuming liquor, the woman told them that she wanted to answer nature's call. They allowed her to go, but asked one of the accused to go with her so that she does not escape. However, she pushed him aside and fled. She reached the Nashik Road suburb of the city and lodged a complaint with the police late on Thursday. According to the police, two accused — Amit Vijay Damle and Gopal Rajendra Nagolkar — both aged 25, have been arrested, while a search is on for the woman's brother-in-law. The police also suspect the involvement of two more persons — one named Gopya, aged around 30 years, and another whose identity has not been established yet — in the crime, they said. The Nashik Road Police have transferred the case to Panchavati Police Station. A case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 70 (1) (gang-rape), 64 (rape), 69 (sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means), 74 (assault or use of criminal force against woman), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 3 (5) (common intention) was filed on Friday, the police said. (With PTI inputs)
25 January,2025 10:13 PM IST | Nashik | mid-day online correspondentA marching contingent and band from Indonesia will lead India’s Republic Day 2025 parade for the first time, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on Saturday. According to news agency ANI, while speaking at a special briefing on the state visit of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Jaideep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) of MEA, emphasised Jakarta's pivotal role as a crucial partner in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. He described the visit as both "timely" and "important," noting the extensive discussions between the two nations on various matters. Mazumdar stated, "Tomorrow, the President [of Indonesia] will witness the Republic Day 2025 parade as a chief guest. One remarkable feature of this Republic Day parade is that a marching contingent and a band from Indonesia will be at the lead of our parade. This is not only the first time that we are having a contingent from Indonesia marching on Republic Day, but for Indonesia, it is the first time ever that a military band and a military contingent have participated in a parade abroad, anywhere." He further elaborated, "This is also of particular importance because the President is also a soldier by profession, and he himself has taken great interest in the rehearsals of the army contingent in Jakarta before they came. He is therefore extremely happy that this honour has been given to the Indonesian Army. Indonesia, as I have said, is our comprehensive strategic partner and a very important pillar of our Act East policy and our vision for the Indo-Pacific. The visit is a very timely one, very important, and the substantive discussions held in a wide range of areas will certainly chart the way forward in bilateral relations for the next few years." At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Subianto is on a state visit to India, ANI reported. The visit marks his first trip to India since assuming office in October 2024. He is also the Chief Guest for India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations. Mazumdar noted that President Subianto is accompanied by a high-powered delegation, including six cabinet ministers, senior officials, and a large business delegation. He also reflected on the prior interactions between Prime Minister Modi and President Subianto. PM Modi, Indonesian President hold meeting Mazumdar said, "The President (of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto) is accompanied by a high-powered delegation of six cabinet ministers, senior officials, and a very large business delegation. This is the President's maiden state visit to India, although he had visited earlier as Defence Minister in 2020. He met our Prime Minister in Brazil on the margins of the G20 in November this year, and they have also spoken on the phone on a couple of occasions." He added, "The President had congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his election victory. The President himself was elected in October and took office in the same month. We are very fortunate that very early on in his tenure, he is visiting India. The Prime Minister also remarked that it is a very good sign—at the start of the Prime Minister's third term and the beginning of the President's term, we are having this visit, which will give both leaders the chance to work on strengthening the relationship." Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi met President Subianto at Hyderabad House in Delhi, ANI reported. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, focusing on defence, security, maritime domain, economic ties, and people-to-people connections. In a post shared on X, Randhir Jaiswal stated, "India-Indonesia | Together for our vision of the Indo-Pacific. PM @narendramodi and President @prabowo of Indonesia held wide-ranging talks at Hyderabad House today. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with a focus on defence and security, maritime domain, economic and people-to-people ties. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest." Following his meeting with PM Modi, President Subianto highlighted the historic ties and strategic partnership between Indonesia and India. He expressed his "great honour" at being invited as the chief guest for India's Republic Day 2025 parade. In his statement alongside PM Modi, President Subianto remarked, "The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia is on land donated by the Indian government before we were recognised by many other countries in the world. We will prioritise this relationship in the interest of the long-term strategic partnership we have agreed upon. I feel very honoured to be the Chief Guest at tomorrow's Republic Day parade. The first Chief Guest at India's first Republic Day parade was President Sukarno, so this is a great honour for me." President Subianto arrived in New Delhi on Friday night for his first state visit to India. He was welcomed by Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, at the airport. (With ANI inputs)
25 January,2025 08:03 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA committee has been set up to investigate the significant explosion at the ordnance factory in Bhandara district, eastern Maharashtra, which claimed the lives of eight individuals and left five others injured just one day prior, officials said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. The inquiry, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Labour (Central) in Nagpur, will commence on Monday, according to the officials. The tragic incident occurred around 10:40 am on Friday, when a blast tore through building number 23, which was used for Low Temperature Plastic Explosives (LTPE), in the High Energy Explosives (HEX) sub-division of the factory located in the Jawahar Nagar area of Bhandara. A senior official told to PTI that the inquiry committee is set to start its investigation on Monday. The Ordnance Factory Bhandara issued a statement Friday evening, announcing that it has formed an investigation team to determine the cause of the explosion. At the time of the incident, thirteen workers were present in the unit, and the blast was so intense that it completely demolished the building where it occurred. Bhandara factory blast: Don't know how and why the explosion happened, says survivor A survivor from the ordnance factory blast that took place in Jawahar Nagar of Bhandara on Saturday said that he didn't know when and why the explosion happened, reported ANI. "We don't know how and why the explosion happened... I remember we were all taking out the waste material and putting it in the liner.. The wall collapsed and fell on us.. we were unconscious. When we regained consciousness, we realised that all three of us were trapped in the rubble... I was rescued later.." survivor Sanjay Raut told ANI. On Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a financial aid package of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the victims who lost their lives in the explosion. The Chief Minister's Office shared on X (formerly Twitter), "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the kin of those killed in the Ordinance Factory accident in Bhandara district." (With inputs from PTI, ANI)
25 January,2025 06:45 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
