UPDATE: According to NSO data, India’s GDP is anticipated to expand by 7.3% in the fiscal year 2024.
“Current news updates: The Indian economy is anticipated to achieve a 7.3% growth in the ongoing fiscal year, as per government estimates, surpassing the 7.2% expansion recorded in FY23.
In a significant development, INS Chennai has reached the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk off the coast of Somalia. Reports from ANI indicate that the Indian Navy ship launched a helicopter, warning pirates to vacate the hijacked Liberia-flagged vessel carrying 15 Indian crew members.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized the West Bengal government after an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team faced an attack in the North 24 Parganas district. The incident occurred during a raid on the residence of block-level functionaries associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominated Swati Maliwal, the chief of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), as its candidate for the upcoming January 19 Rajya Sabha elections. Sanjay Singh and ND Gupta were also renominated for a second term in the Upper House. Sushil Kumar Gupta, whose Rajya Sabha tenure is ending this month, expressed his desire to actively engage in electoral politics in Haryana.
The Indian Navy has deployed maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) P8I and INS Chennai to assist the hijacked vessel MV Lila Norfolk, which is carrying 15 Indian crew members. The Navy swiftly responded to the situation, diverting INS Chennai from Maritime Security Operations to provide assistance.
In another development, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the successful flight-testing of a fuel cell to evaluate its performance in space. The experiment generated 180 W power from Hydrogen and Oxygen gases stored onboard during the short duration test on the Payload Orbital Experiment Module (POEM).
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu during his recent visit to Nepal. Jaishankar, on his first visit of 2024, expressed anticipation for engagements in the Himalayan country. He also announced a financial assistance package of approximately NPR 1000 crores to Nepal following a recent earthquake in Jajarkot. The handover of the fifth tranche of post-earthquake relief supply was witnessed by Jaishankar and Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Minister NP Saud, aiming to further support recovery efforts after the earthquake in November that claimed 128 lives and left at least 141 injured, according to The Kathmandu Post.”