Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly welcomed United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his family at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. On this occasion, the Prime Minister presented traditional gifts related to the rich cultural heritage of India to the UAE President and his family.

PM Modi presented a traditional royal carved wooden swing (jhula) of Gujarat to the UAE President. This beautiful swing is hand carved with intricate floral patterns and traditional designs and is considered an integral part of the homes of many families in Gujarat. In Gujarati culture, Jhula is a symbol of mutual communication, family unity and connection between generations. This gift also holds special significance in the context of the UAE declaring 2026 as the ‘Year of the Family’.

Kashmiri pashmina shawl gift

Apart from this, the Prime Minister presented a Kashmiri Pashmina shawl in a decorated silver box to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. This pashmina shawl is hand crafted from the fine wool of Kashmir, known for its softness, lightness and warmth. The decorative silver box used to keep the shawl is manufactured in Telangana. Both these gifts together reflect the rich handloom and handicraft tradition of India.

The Prime Minister also presented a pashmina shawl in an ornate silver box to UAE’s eminent women leader Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi. Along with this, Kashmiri saffron was also presented to him in a decorated silver box. This saffron grown in Kashmir valley is famous all over the world for its deep red color and fragrance.

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his family at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg.

PM Modi gifted the President of the UAE a Royal Carved Wooden Jhula (swing), a beautifully… pic.twitter.com/KGePrFmaMh

— ANI (@ANI) January 19, 2026

News of tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia

This few hours visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India is being considered very important in terms of trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries. This visit is taking place at a time when there is immense turmoil in global politics. On one hand, America has tensions with China and Russia regarding Venezuela and Greenland, while the situation in Iran remains very serious. Apart from this, news of tension between UAE and Saudi Arabia is also coming out. In such an environment, this meeting of the top leadership of India and UAE holds special importance.

Bilateral trade of 100 billion dollars between the two countries

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, bilateral trade between India and UAE has crossed the figure of $ 100.06 billion in the financial year 2024-25, showing a significant growth of 19.6 percent. With this achievement, UAE has become stronger among India’s major trading partners. In the last few years, relations between India and UAE have continuously become stronger. Both the countries have taken cooperation to new heights in many areas including energy, trade, investment, defense and technology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honored with the country’s highest civilian honor ‘Order of Zayed’ by the UAE in the year 2019, which is a symbol of the close relations between the two countries.

BJP state president Rajiv Chandrashekhar has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to intervene in the matter, requesting him to change the name of the state to Keralam. In his letter, he also mentioned the bill passed by the Kerala Assembly in June 2024 to change the official name of Kerala to Keralam in the government records. Besides, accepting the decision of the Assembly, he has also sent a copy of a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

What did the BJP leader write in his letter?

BJP leader Chandrashekhar said that BJP recognizes this great state best by the name ‘Keralaam’. It represents its heritage and culture. In his letter to the Prime Minister, he said that he hoped that all political parties would work together to revive and preserve the rich traditions of Kerala.

He said that a developed and safe Kerala can be created by respecting and protecting the beliefs and customs of all religious communities. He said that officially adopting the name Keralam will help in countering the efforts of extremist groups. These are the people who want to divide the state. They are demanding separate districts on the basis of religion.

Proposal to change the name of Kerala passed in the Assembly

Let us tell you that the Vijayan government of Kerala has unanimously passed a resolution in the Assembly to change the name of the state. The proposal was unanimously accepted by the opposition Congress-led UDF and the ruling party in the Assembly. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had presented a proposal and appealed to the Center to change the name of the state in the Constitution to ‘Keralam’, after which now Rajiv Chandrashekhar, who comes from Kerala, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding to change the name of the state to ‘Keralam’.

What is the meaning of the word Kerala?

There is another meaning of the word Kerala. It means that land which has emerged from the sea. The confluence of sea and mountains is also called Kerala. Ancient foreign travelers also addressed this place by the name Malabar. For a long time this land was under the control of Chera kings. For this reason it might have been named Cheralam and then Keralam.

China reiterated its territorial claims on Shaksgam Valley on Monday (January 12, 2026) amid India’s objections and said that its infrastructure projects in this area are absolutely justified. In fact, last Friday (January 9, 2026), India had criticized China’s infrastructure projects in Shaksgam Valley, saying that this is Indian territory and it has the right to take necessary steps to protect its interests.

In 1963, Pakistan handed over 5,180 square kilometers of Shaksgam Valley from illegally occupied Indian territory to China.

India never recognized China-PAK agreement- Jaiswal

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, ‘Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory. We have never recognized the so-called China-Pakistan border agreement made in 1963. We have been continuously saying that this agreement is illegal and invalid. He said, ‘We also do not recognize the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), because it passes through Indian territory, which is illegally and forcibly occupied by Pakistan.’

Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India- Jaiswal

In response to a question related to China’s infrastructure projects in Shaksgam Valley, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, ‘Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inseparable part of India. This has been clearly told to Pakistani and Chinese officials many times.

China reacted to India’s comment

Responding to Jaiswal’s comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference held in Beijing, ‘First of all, the area you are mentioning is part of China.’ He said, ‘China’s infrastructure activities in its own region are absolutely justified. China and Pakistan had signed a border agreement in the 1960s and the border between the two countries was fixed. This is the right of China and Pakistan as sovereign countries.

What did the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry say about CPEC?

At the same time, when criticized by India regarding CPEC, Mao reiterated Beijing’s old stand and said that it is an economic initiative, the objective of which is local economic and social development and improving the lives of the people. He said, ‘Such an agreement and CPEC will not affect China’s stand on the Kashmir issue and China’s stand on this issue remains unchanged.’

What is China’s stand on Kashmir issue?

China’s official position on the Kashmir issue is that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute has been long-standing and should be resolved appropriately and peacefully in accordance with the UN Charter, relevant Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. China has been reiterating this stance.

Also read: ‘We do not want war, but…’, Iran blunt on Donald Trump’s threat, Khamenei in a see-through mood!

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is on a two-day visit to India on the occasion of completion of 25 years of strategic partnership between India and Germany and 75 years of diplomatic relations. On Monday (January 12), the leaders of both the countries were seen traveling together in a car. During this, a special kind of warmth was seen between the two leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a picture of a car with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Instagram. During this, he said that the friendship between India and Germany is continuously growing due to shared values, extensive cooperation and mutual understanding. On the first day, PM Modi along with Frederick visited the historic Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Gujarat. Also traveled in an open car on Sabarmati Riverfront. During this, both the leaders also tried to fly kites.

The German Chancellor expressed gratitude on behalf of PM Modi for the invitation to Gujarat. He said, ‘You invited me to visit your home state Gujarat. I thank you wholeheartedly for this special gesture. This is a sign of the deep relations between our two countries. This is also a proof of your friendship towards me.

What did the German Chancellor say about relations with India?

Both the leaders formally participated in delegation level talks, and also held a joint press conference. Frederick described India as his desired and favorite partner. He said that to harness the full potential of economic relations between India and Germany, we need to negotiate a free trade agreement between India and the European Union.

Today’s discussions with Chancellor Friedrich Merz will further energize the India-Germany partnership!@bundeskanzler@_FriedrichMerz pic.twitter.com/9QCGfVWGu3

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 12, 2026

Both the countries also signed an agreement emphasizing on strengthening cooperation in the defense sector to enhance development, production, innovation and supply chain. During this, Frederick said that both the countries want to strengthen cooperation in their defense industries. It has strategic importance. Both the countries have signed regarding this.

Modi expressed gratitude to German Chancellor for this

PM Modi welcomed Chancellor Merz’s decision to choose India on his first visit to Asia. He said that this visit shows India’s role in Germany’s strategy. This symbolizes the high level of trust between the two countries. PM Modi said, ‘We have decided to make this seamless economic partnership unlimited. This means that along with traditional economic areas, there will be strong cooperation in strategic areas also. Today we are exchanging a joint declaration in the defense sector.

As soon as the time of examination comes, stress, fear and many questions start arising in the minds of the students. With the aim of addressing these concerns and directly communicating with students, teachers and parents, Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) is organized every year. In the year 2026, this program has taken its biggest form so far. This time the discussion on examination has created a new history in the matter of registration.

According to official data, till January 9, 2026, around 4.3 crore people have registered for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026. This number is a big record in itself. Students have participated the most in these. Which includes students 4,00,41,236, teachers 24,03,234 and parents 5,73,703. It is clear from these figures that the discussion on examination is not limited only to students, but teachers and parents are also taking active part in it.

World record was made last year also

In the last edition, Pariksha Pe Charcha was recognized by Guinness World Records. At that time 3.53 crore registrations were registered in the program. This time in 2026, this figure has gone even further, which clearly shows that its popularity is increasing rapidly every year.

When will there be discussion on exam 2026?

According to official information, Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 will be organized in January 2026. However, its exact dates have not been announced yet. Students, teachers or parents who want to participate in it can apply by visiting the official website innovateindia1.mygov.in till midnight of 11 January 2026. In this, students, teachers and parents of class 6 to 12 can apply. To apply, participants will have to log in or sign up with mobile number or email ID.

How is the registration and selection process?

After logging in, the applicant has to select his category. They then have to participate in a multiple-choice question-answer activity based on the exam, study methods, or exam-related stress. This activity is part of the selection process. On completing the process, participants are also given a participation certificate. Based on the answers and suggestions received, some questions and participants will be selected, who may get a chance to interact during the program. The format of the dialogue and other details will be announced later.

Registrations started from 1st December

Registration for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 will start from 1 December 2025 and will continue till 11 January 2026. During this period, lakhs of people from India and abroad have participated in it. The purpose of discussion on examination is not only to prepare for the examination but also to strengthen the mental health, confidence and positive thinking of the students. This program is organized every year before the board examinations, so that the students can get the right direction and guidance.

last year’s event

Last year, the eighth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha was held on 10 February. It was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The program was organized at Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, where students, teachers and parents had a candid conversation on issues related to exams and stress. In the last edition, students from more than 245 countries, teachers from 153 countries, parents from 149 countries were associated with this program. When the discussion on examination was held for the first time in 2018, about 22,000 participants participated in it. Today this number has increased to crores, which shows its success and importance.

Also read: UPSC Exam 2026: Now face recognition will be done at UPSC exam centres, and stricter rules

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Somnath Temple: 2026 is special for Somnath Temple of Gujarat for two reasons. In the year 1026, Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked and destroyed the temple, whose 1000th anniversary is being completed. Recently the Prime Minister had written an emotional article regarding the temple. Now after this the PM visited Jyotirlinga in Somnath temple and performed Shiva meditation.

Somnath stands as a beacon of eternal divinity. Its sacred presence continues to guide people across generations. Here are highlights from yesterday’s programmes, including the Omkar Mantra chanting and drone show.#SomnathSwabhimanParv pic.twitter.com/lCZxiaauMp

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 11, 2026

The second reason is that it has been 75 years since the consecration of the Somnath temple, rebuilt in independent India on 11 May 1951, on this occasion, Somnath Swabhiman festival is being celebrated from 8 January to 11 January.

Glimpse of ancient faith seen in drone show

As part of the Somnath Swabhiman festival, a grand drone show was organized on the shores of the Arabian Sea in the Somnath temple complex. Sanatan’s grandeur was shown in the drone show. Through about 3000 drones, the scene of attack on Somnath temple, Trishul, Om, Tandav of Lord Shiva and the figure of PM were shown in the sky.

PM Narendra Modi has shared a video on social media platform X in which a glimpse of the grandeur and divinity of Somnath temple was shown even after 1000 years. The Somnath Temple standing in front of the waves of the sea is not just an architecture, but a symbol of the living tradition of India which has preserved its identity for centuries.

Lord Shri Somnath resides in every particle of the universe. His unbroken faith has been flowing continuously since eternity. He will always be a symbol of the spiritual energy of India. pic.twitter.com/XounUARIFb

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 9, 2026

Why were there attacks on Somnath temple?

The biggest reason for the attack on Somnath temple was its property. The temple received huge donations from kings, traders and foreign travelers. The Somnath Temple treasure, a symbol of India’s prosperity for centuries, was looted by Mahmud Ghaznavi in ​​1026 AD, which included huge quantities of gold, silver and precious gems.

The Mughals targeted the temple for its historical fame. The attackers knew that the attack on the temple would be recorded in history. Attack on a famous place gave a message of power and fear of the attacker.

Somnath Swabhiman Parv: PM Modi worshiped in Somnath temple, offered flowers and played Damru, thousands of Shiva devotees participated in Shaurya Yatra

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Hindustani Awam Morcha has also supported the demand of Janata Dal United leader KC Tyagi to give Bharat Ratna to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Morcha chief and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi even expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will once again surprise everyone by deciding to award ‘Bharat Ratna’ to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Demand for giving Bharat Ratna to Manjhi Neeki Nitish Kumar

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi posted on social networking site We have full confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has surprised everyone with his decision, will once again surprise everyone by deciding to award ‘Bharat Ratna’ to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Bharat Ratna Nitish Kumar.

Bharat Ratna Nitish Kumar ji…
How nice it would be to hear these words, wouldn’t it?

We have full confidence that the Honorable Prime Minister who surprised everyone with his decision @narendramodi Yes, Honorable Chief Minister of Bihar @NitishKumar Will surprise everyone once again by deciding to award Bharat Ratna to ji.

— Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) January 10, 2026

KC Tyagi wrote a letter to PM Modi

In fact, on Friday, senior Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding to give the country’s highest honor to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. KC Tyagi has said in a letter to Prime Minister Modi that Nitish Kumar, the remaining precious gem of the socialist movement, is worthy of ‘Bharat Ratna’. He should be awarded this honour.

KC Tyagi wrote in the letter, ’30 March 2024 is the day to honor our ancestors. Due to his efforts he was decorated with the highest honor of ‘Bharat Ratna’. Self. Chaudhary Charan Singh and Late. A meaningful effort was made by Karpoori Thakur to organize the public interest, farmers and marginalized people and give them respect.

The letter further reads, ‘I am overwhelmed by these efforts of yours and request that Nitish Kumar, the remaining precious gem of the socialist movement, is also worthy of this honour. In the past too, many heroes have received this honor while still alive. On behalf of crores of people, I hope and request you that dear leader Nitish Kumar should be honored with this honor so that history will appreciate your efforts for a long time.

Let us tell you that this is not the first time that the demand for ‘Bharat Ratna’ has been raised for Nitish Kumar. Even before this, many party leaders have demanded ‘Bharat Ratna’ for Nitish Kumar.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s program in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, such a picture emerged which put the city residents to shame. In view of the PM’s program, a green corridor was made here, which was decorated with beautiful flower pots, but as soon as the program ended, there was a robbery to steal the pots. The video of this incident is also going viral on social media.

Let us tell you that Thursday (25 December) was the 101st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached Lucknow to inaugurate the National Inspiration Site. In view of the PM’s program, flower pots were installed to decorate the National Inspiration Site and the Green Corridor.

Stolen flower pots as soon as the program was over

Lucknow Development Authority had decorated the entire corridor with small attractive pots and flower pots, so that Lucknow looks like a beautiful city. But, as soon as the program ended, the scene here changed. Some people came in their cars and started stealing flowerpots decorated with flowers and took away whatever flowerpot was in people’s hands. During this, some people present there made a video of it which is now going viral.

A case of flower pot theft has come to light after PM Narendra Modi’s program in Lucknow. People took away the pots planted to decorate the National Inspiration Site and the Green Corridor in the vehicle. When the video went viral, people called it against the culture of Lucknow! #RashtraPrernaSthal #NarendraModi, pic.twitter.com/ypTdQAK9HC

— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 26, 2025

Video went viral on social media

The video of this incident is going viral on social media, in which people are seen carrying away flower pots without any hesitation. These included some people with two-wheelers and some with four-wheelers. The city, which was decorated with the hard work of many days, was destroyed by the people within a few hours.

After this video surfaced, it has put the people of Lucknow to shame. Now people are giving many types of reactions regarding this. Some people are saying that it is against the culture of Lucknow.

Uproar over the meeting of BJP’s Brahmin MLAs, SP’s first reaction on Pankaj Chaudhary’s advice.

On Thursday, on the 101st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow. The politics of the state has heated up regarding this. Asaduddin Owaisi’s party AIMIM attacked BJP over the site and asked whether it is a Rashtra Prerna Sthal or Panda Sthal.

AIMIM spokesperson Syed Asim Waqar attacked Bharatiya Janata Party over Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow. He said that the place where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to Lucknow to inaugurate today has been named Prerna Sthal by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

AIMIM leader said ‘Panda inspiration place’

I thought I’d see what inspiration comes from this place? So I found that there were big statues of three great men installed there. The first statue is of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the second statue is of Pandit Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and the third is of Pandit Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I thought it was an inspiration place or a panda place.

Syed Asim Waqar said that the population of Brahmins in the whole of India is four percent. A place of inspiration is being created by installing three big statues of Brahmins who constitute four percent of the population and no great man has ever passed through 96 percent of the population and his statue is also installed there.

Samajwadi Party also raised questions

At the same time, Samajwadi Party also targeted BJP regarding Rashtra Prerna Sthal and said that statues of great men of PDA should also have been there here. SP spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand said that the statues installed in this park have definitely contributed to the society. SP has no objection to this.

The SP leader said that it would have been better if statues of other great men were also installed in this park. The statue of those who come from PDA community would also be placed along with the statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We feel that more statues can be installed.

‘This is a cursed land…’, this statement of Yogi’s minister Dinesh Khatik intensifies the political stir in UP.

During the winter session of Parliament, a political controversy has started in the Lok Sabha over the government’s bill changing the name of MNREGA to Ji Ram Ji. Meanwhile, Congress MP and leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi has made a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding this bill. He said that PM Modi has a strong hatred for the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of poor people.

Rahul Gandhi targeted PM Modi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has targeted PM Modi by sharing a post on social media platform X on Tuesday (December 16, 2025). He said in his post, ‘Modi ji has strong hatred for two things – the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor. MNREGA is a living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of village-swaraj, it is the support of the lives of crores of villagers, which also proved to be their economic security blanket during the Covid period. But Prime Minister Modi has always been irritated by this scheme and has been trying to weaken it for the last 10 years. Today he is bent upon erasing all traces of MNREGA.

Modi ji definitely hates two things – the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and the rights of the poor.

MNREGA is a living embodiment of Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of Gram Swaraj – supporting the lives of crores of villagers, which also proved to be their economic security blanket during the Covid period.

But, Prime Minister Modi…

—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 16, 2025

He said, ‘The foundation of MNREGA was based on three basic ideas-

• Right to employment – ​​Whoever asks for work will get it.
• Freedom for the village to decide its own progress.
• The central government will bear the entire cost of labor and 75% of the cost of goods.

Now Prime Minister Modi wants to change this MNREGA and concentrate all the power in his hands only.

• The center will decide the budget, schemes and rules.
• States will be forced to bear 40% of the expenditure.
• As soon as the budget ends or during the harvest season, no one will get work for two months.

The new bill is an insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi – Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi said, ‘This new bill is an insult to the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, the Modi government has already ruined the future of India’s youth through massive unemployment and now this bill is also a means of destroying the secure livelihood of the rural poor. We will oppose this anti-people bill from the streets of the village to the Parliament.

Also read: As soon as the Ji Ram Ji Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, the opposition created a ruckus, Priyanka said – ‘The craze of changing the name…’