PM Modi departs for Oman on last leg of three-nation visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) left for Oman from Ethiopia on the last leg of his four-day, three-nation visit.

India, Oman to sign Free Trade Agreement on December 18, Piyush Goyal confirms

Confirming that India and Oman will be signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on Thursday (December 18, 2025), Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that the FTA offers “immense opportunities” in a number of sectors, including textiles, footwear, automobiles, gems and jewellery, renewable energy, and auto components.

EAM Jaishankar holds talks with Israel PM Netanyahu on deepening bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in technology, economy, connectivity and security, expressing confidence that the bilateral strategic partnership will “grow from strength to strength”.

MEA summons Bangladesh envoy after radical group calls for march to Indian Mission in Dhaka

Hours after a radical group in Dhaka announced “March to Indian High Commission” on Wednesday afternoon (December 17, 2025), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi summoned the High Commissioner of Bangladesh Riaz Hamidullah and reminded him about Dhaka’s responsibility for ensuring security and safety of Indian mission and visa facilities in the neighbouring country.

Muslim-dominated segments mapped better in Bengal SIR: study

Assembly constituencies in West Bengal with a higher percentage of Muslim population have a lower share of unmapped voters in the first phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, a study by Kolkata-based SABAR Institute has found. The Election Commission of India on Tuesday (December 16, 2025) published draft electoral rolls of West Bengal following the SIR, with names of 58 lakh electors deleted from the existing voter lists in the State.

Pilot bodies complain to House panel on ‘corruption’ in DGCA, Ministry

Pilot bodies have alleged deep-rooted corruption in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation before the parliamentary panel that met to discuss the operational meltdown at IndiGo since early December, which led to the cancellation of over 5,000 flights affecting at least 12.5 lakh passengers.

Lok Sabha passes nuclear energy Bill allowing privatisation

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 despite demands by several Opposition parliamentarians for referring the legislation to a parliamentary panel. The Bill now moves to the Rajya Sabha for discussion following which it can become law.

Two more Indians killed in Russia-Ukraine war zone, bodies arrive at Delhi airport

Bodies of two Indians killed in the Russia-Ukraine war zone arrived at the Delhi airport on Wednesday (December 17, 2025). Since September, at least four Indians have been killed in the war zone and 59 others are missing. The deceased have been identified as Ajay Godara (22), a resident of Rajasthan, and Rakesh Kumar (30) from Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Governor returns UCC and religious conversion amendment Bills

In a setback to the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led Uttarakhand government, Governor Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh (Retd.) has returned the amendment Bills related to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the State’s Freedom of Religion and Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Act, citing technical flaws. Sources in the government confirmed that the Governor’s office has returned the Bills.

Opposition, activists oppose new Bill replacing MGNREGA

The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), faced opposition both within and outside the Parliament, even as the Lok Sabha began debate on the Bill. The government, ignoring the demands from the Opposition, has conveyed its intent to pass the Bill in the ongoing session of Parliament that concludes on Friday (December 19, 2025).

Carpooling app in the works to cut emissions: Sirsa

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday said the government is working on a carpooling app to reduce pollution caused by vehicular emissions. An overhaul of the pollution under control (PUC) certificate-issuing centres and the development of an integrated traffic management system are also under way, he added. “There is no system in place right now for carpooling. We are trying to make an app for it, which is easy to download and use,” Mr. Sirsa said while addressing the media.

Parliament clears Bill to allow 100% FDI in insurance sector

A day after the Lok Sabha passed it, the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, which allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector. The Upper House also cleared the Repealing and Amending Bill that repeals 71 obsolete laws. The Lok Sabha had passed both the Bills on Tuesday (December 16, 2025).

Delhi HC cracks down on alleged use of pirated surveillance software at Udyog Bhawan

The Delhi High Court has passed a restraining order against a private firm that allegedly installed a pirated copy of a proprietary video management software for the surveillance security systems at Udyog Bhawan, which houses several Ministries, including the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in the national capital.

Delhi pollution: Mandatory 50% work from home for all private, govt. offices from December 18, says Minister

Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) said all government and private institutions must mandatorily switch to work from home for 50% of the staff from Thursday (December 18), or face action.

Hyderabad man’s involvement in Australia shooting ‘insult’ to India: Telangana BJP chief

The involvement of a Hyderabad man in the recent mass shooting at a beach in Australia is not only an "insult" to India, but also a grave security concern, Telangana BJP chief N. Ramchander Rao said on Wednesday (December 17, 2025). Sajid Akram, one of the suspects in the recent shooting at Bondi beach in Australia that left 15 people dead, is originally from Hyderabad, the Telangana Police said on Tuesday.

Air pollution: Supreme Court asks NHAI, MCD to consider shifting or closing 9 toll plazas at Delhi borders

Taking a serious note of the severe air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court on Wednesday (December 17, 2025) issued a slew of directions and asked the NHAI and the MCD to consider either temporary closing or relocating the nine toll plazas at borders of the national capital to ease usual massive traffic congestion.

Oscars 2026: Neeraj Ghaywan’s ‘Homebound’ gets shortlisted in the Best International Feature Film category

Neeraj Ghaywan’s sophomore feature, Homebound has been shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. On Tuesday, December 16, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists in all the categories, including, Animated Short Film, Casting, Cinematography, Documentary Feature Film, Documentary Short Film, International Feature Film, Live Action Short Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Sound and Visual Effects.