Morning News Brief: Catch on the latest Updates here

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will chair a high-level virtual meeting with the Mayors of all 16 municipal corporations in the state, Municipal Commissioners, District Collectors and other representatives later on Friday. The sudden meeting was called in view of contaminated water which resulted in a health crisis in Indore, killing several people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics associated with Bhagwan Buddha at the Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in Delhi on Saturday.

Announcing the event on X on Friday, the Prime Minister said, “Tomorrow, 3rd January, is a very special day for those passionate about history, culture and the ideals of Bhagwan Buddha. At 11 AM, the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa Relics related to Bhagwan Buddha, ‘The Light & the Lotus: Relics of the Awakened One’, will be inaugurated at Rai Pithora Cultural Complex in Delhi.”

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has published the draft rules for the four labour codes, which also bring gig workers on board for various benefits such as minimum wage, health, occupational safety, and social security coverage.

The government has invited feedback from stakeholders on these draft rules and aims to finally roll out the entire package of four labour codes across the country from April 1.

 US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that the United States is “locked and loaded” to respond if Iranian authorities use violence against peaceful protesters, as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions spread across multiple provinces in Iran

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday highlighted India’s ancient civilizational heritage and democratic tradition, saying the country’s glorious past is helping shape its global future. He emphasized that India is among the very few ancient civilizations in the world that has survived, adapted and evolved into a modern nation-state, giving it a continuity of history that few other nations possess.

 Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal, responding to criticism of Blinkit’s 10-minute delivery, said that this feature is not due to pressure on delivery partners to drive faster, but rather due to the large number of stores and robust system design.

Punjab will launch a free medical treatment scheme up to ₹10 lakh on January 15th. Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh announced this at a press conference in Chandigarh, where Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will launch the scheme. He said that this will provide health insurance to 30 million people

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has written a to X (formerly Twitter) over “failure to observe statutory due diligence obligations” under the Information Technology Act, 2000 and other relevant laws and sought an Action Taken Report towards immediate compliance for prevention of hosting, generation and uploading of obscene, nude, indecent.

The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted bail to Chaitanya Baghel, son of former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, in two high-profile cases linked to the alleged multi-crore liquor scam.

The order brings significant relief to Chaitanya Baghel, who has been in judicial custody for several months and is now likely to be released, subject to compliance with bail conditions imposed by the court.