1 President laid the foundation stone of 3 new railway projects
President Draupadi Murmu laid the foundation stone of three new rail projects in Odisha on 7 December . These include Bangariposi-Gorumahisani , Burhamara-Chakulia , Badampahar-Kendujhar railway projects. A budget of Rs 6,200 crore has been allocated for this. The 82 km long Badamapahar-Kendujhargarh new rail line will connect Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts of Odisha. This line will be constructed at a cost of Rs 2,106 crore. The length of the Bangariposi-Gorumahisani new rail line is 86 km. This rail project will cover Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. The construction of this line is expected to cost Rs 2,549 crore. The third rail project covering Mayurbhanj district of Odisha and East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand is Buramara-Chakulia. Rs 1,639 crore will be spent on the construction of this 60 km new rail line. Along with this, the President laid the foundation stone of Tribal Research Center in Rairangpur , upgradation of Rairangpur Dandabos Airport , construction of a new building at Rairangpur Sub-Divisional Level Hospital in virtual mode from here.
2 Union Health Minister Shri J.P. Nadda launched a 100-day intensive nationwide campaign to reduce TB incidence and mortality in Panchkula, Haryana
As a significant step in India’s TB elimination efforts , Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda launched a 100-day Intensive TB Elimination Campaign in Panchkula, Haryana in the presence of Chief Minister of the State Shri Nayab Singh Saini and Health Minister Smt. Arti Singh Rao. To be implemented in 347 districts across the country, the campaign aims to detect and treat missed TB cases, especially in high-risk groups, and substantially reduce TB deaths. The campaign underlines Government of India’s commitment to achieving the goal of eliminating TB by addressing the challenges of tuberculosis (TB) notification and mortality in India under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
3 85 Kendriya Vidyalayas and 28 Navodaya Vidyalayas will be opened in the country
The Union Cabinet met in Delhi on 6 December. During this, 85 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) , 28 Navodaya Vidyalayas (NV) and Phase 4 of Delhi Metro have been approved. The fourth phase will see the construction of the Rithala-Kundli corridor . A budget of Rs 8232 crore has been kept for the construction of these schools . Rs 5,872 crore is for KV and Rs 2,360 crore for NV . 82 thousand 560 students will benefit from the new KV and 15 thousand 680 students from NV and 6,700 jobs will be generated due to these schools. 5,388 regular openings will be generated in KV and 1,316 openings in NV. All Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) and Navodaya Vidyalayas have been prepared as PM Shri Schools. With the aim of implementing the new education policy, the central government brought the Pradhan Mantri School for Rising India (PM Shri School Yojana) in the year 2022. Under the PM Shri School Yojana, 14500 primary, secondary and higher secondary schools of the country are to be developed as model schools. These schools are to be equipped with facilities like latest technology, smart class, modern infrastructure. In the cabinet meeting, the Rithala-Kundli corridor of Delhi Metro has been approved. It is 26 km long and will connect Delhi to Haryana. This corridor will have 21 stations, all of which will be elevated.
4 India’s first Hyperloop test track is ready
India’s first Hyperloop testing track is ready. This track is built in the campus of IIT-Madras and its length is 410 meters. Hyperloop is a high-speed train, which runs in vacuum inside a tube. This track is a joint project of Indian Railways, IIT-Madras’ Avishkar Hyperloop team and Startup Tutor Hyperloop . The train can run at a speed of 100 km/hour on this test track. Now Hyperloop will be tested at a speed of 600 km/hour on a longer track. Earlier, the Maharashtra government had approved the Mumbai-Pune Hyperloop project. The idea of Hyperloop was first given by Elon Musk in 2012. 76 students are working on this project of IIT-Madras. This project will be prepared in 2 phases. The first phase will include the construction of 11.5 km track, then after the completion of the necessary tests, the second phase will be started to cover the remaining track of about 100 km.
5 The historic Notre Dame Cathedral in France is being reopened to the public after almost five and a half years
In France , the world famous 861-year-old historic Notre Dame Church is being reopened to the public after about five and a half years. This church was badly damaged by fire . The restoration of this church is being considered an important achievement for President Emmanuel Macron . Leaders, dignitaries and devotees from all over the world are gathering on this occasion. About one thousand five hundred guests include heads of about 50 nations and governments, including US First Lady Jill Biden , US President-elect Donald Trump and Britain’s Prince William . This medieval church in Gothic style was engulfed in a terrible fire on 15 April 2019. Its roof collapsed but the walls and pillars were saved.
6 Kerala Archbishop George Koovakad appointed Cardinal by Pope Francis
Pope Francis appointed Indian priest George Koovakad as a cardinal in a grand ceremony at the Vatican on Saturday . Priests and dignitaries from all over the world attended the ceremony. The event took place at St. Peter’s Basilica, where 21 new cardinals were appointed from different countries. With the promotion of George Koovakad, the total number of cardinals in India has now increased to six. This has further strengthened India’s representation in the Vatican. Koovakad has played an important role in the diplomatic work of the Church in countries like Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica and Venezuela. He has been organizing the Pope’s global trips in the Vatican Secretariat since 2020.
7 Nebraska declared December 6 as Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Day
On December 6, 2024, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled at the Nebraska State Capitol (United States) , which was declared as “ Mahatma Gandhi Remembrance Day ”. Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen declared this special day to honor Gandhi’s principles of non-violence, tolerance and justice, which have relevance in today’s world. The event was organized in collaboration with the Indian Consulate in Seattle and the Nebraska Governor’s Office, reflecting cultural understanding and long-term partnership.
