Raghav Chadha expressed his condolences on passing away of Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji. He tweeted on X, "A world-renowned economist and the architect behind the liberalization of the Indian economy, Dr Manmohan Singh Ji steered India through difficult

Ayodhya is set to witness a grand celebration on January 11, 2025, marking the first anniversary of the "Prana Pratishtha of the Ram Lalla" (the first anniversary of the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol) at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir.

The occasion, known as Pratishtha Dwadashi, will bring together devotees from across the country for a day filled with sacred rituals, music, and cultural programmes.

This information was shared by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra on its X account.

According to the information, the temple complex will host a series of spiritually uplifting events, offering a chance for devotees to connect with Lord Ram through prayer, chanting, and celebration.

Here's a look at the key highlights of the day:

India has strengthened its leadership in the export of labour-intensive agricultural and allied products while expanding into new areas such as electronics goods.

During April-October 2024, the agricultural and allied products exports shot up to $27.84 billion from $26.90 billion in April-October 2023, according to a year-end review of the Commerce and Industry Ministry.

Exports of spices have jumped from $2.4 billion in 2013-14 to $4.2 billion in 2023-24. During April-October 2024, spice exports registered a robust 10 per cent increase to $2.47 billion from $2.24 billion in the same period of the previous year.

Basmati rice exports increased from $4.8 billion to $5.8 billion, and non-basmati rice exports from $2.9 billion to $4.6 billion. In April-October 2024, the exports of basmati rice were $3.38 billion as compared to April-October 2023 when they were $2.96 billion, registering a growth of 14.28 per cent.

India’s equity markets soared to record highs, firmly establishing the nation with a market capitalisation of $5.29 trillion this year, which was the fourth largest market cap globally after the US, China and Japan, a report said on Thursday.

Benchmark indices Nifty and Sensex hit all-time highs of 26,277.35 and 85,978.25, respectively, this year, according to the report by Pantomath Group, a leading financial services conglomerate.

GDP growth stood at 8.2 per cent in FY24, surpassing expectations, although inflation and weak consumption slowed growth in first half of FY25.

“A rebound is anticipated, driven by government spending, private investments, and rural growth revival,” the report mentioned.

According to Madhu Lunawat, CIO and Fund Manager, Bharat Value Fund, there are many opportunities available for both domestic and global investors such as AIF, PMS, Mutual Funds, etc. for medium-term investments perspectives, to participate in India's long term growth story.

Indian Railways has successfully carried out a trial run of a tower wagon on the Anji Khad Bridge, the country's first cable-stayed rail bridge, located in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.

The achievement is a major step forward in enhancing railway connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, with services expected to commence in January 2025.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of the trial run on the social media platform X, highlighting the progress of the crucial project.

"The trial run on the Anji Khad Bridge, a key component of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project, has been successfully completed," according to the Ministry of Railways.

Completed last month, the Anji Khad Bridge is an engineering marvel featuring a single pylon that rises 331 metres above the riverbed. It is supported by 48 cables on its lateral and central spans and stretches 473.25 metres in total length. The viaduct measures 120 metres, while the central embankment spans 94.25 metres.

The Indian stock market opened higher on Thursday as buying was seen in the PSU bank, auto, financial service and metal sectors on Nifty.

At around 9:37 am, Sensex was trading at 78,744.55 after gaining 271.68 points or 0.35 per cent, while the Nifty was trading at 23,812.50 after gaining 84.85 points or 0.36 per cent.

The market trend remained positive. On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), 1,142 stocks were trading in green, while 795 stocks were in red.

According to experts, "the market will be expecting both fiscal and monetary stimulus. These expectations can keep the market in a consolidation phase in the near-term."

"The market reaction after the Budget and monetary policy will depend on the policy initiatives," they added.

Delhi continues to grapple with dense fog, significantly lowering visibility across multiple areas for consecutive days. The air quality in the national capital remained in the 'very poor' category, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 343 at 6 a.m. on Thursday.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), key areas such as R.K. Puram (391), Jahangirpuri (375), and Rohini (377) reported particularly high AQI levels. Other notable readings included Vivek Vihar (372), Okhla Phase 2 (369), and Anand Vihar (370).

On Thursday, dense fog disrupted travel, causing difficulties for commuters. Flight operations, particularly for aircraft not equipped for low-visibility landings, were affected. The airport authorities urged passengers to contact airlines for real-time updates and issued an apology for any inconvenience.

Additionally, up to 18 trains departing from the national capital for different destinations across the countries were also delayed for a few hours.

The Indian mutual fund industry saw a meteoric rise in 2024, as the assets under management (AUM) of all MF schemes increased by more than Rs 17 lakh crore this year.

According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (Amfi), the mutual fund industry's AUM was Rs 68 lakh crore at the end of November 2024, which is Rs 17.22 lakh crore or 33 per cent more than the December 2023 figure of Rs 50.78 lakh crore.

The mutual fund industry's AUM has increased by more than Rs 37 lakh crore in the last four years.

AUM increased by Rs 11 lakh crore in 2023, Rs 2.65 lakh crore in 2022, and about Rs 7 lakh crore in 2021.

The AUM of the mutual fund industry was Rs 50.78 lakh crore in December 2023, Rs 40 lakh crore in December 2022, Rs 37.72 lakh crore in December 2021 and Rs 31 lakh crore in December 2020.

Driven by strong fundamental and robust economic growth, the domestic benchmark indices are set to give positive returns in 2024 for the ninth consecutive year.

As per a report by Standard Chartered bank, 2024 was a year of two distinct halves for Indian equities and bonds. While the first half saw strong growth, supported by robust economic activity and corporate earnings, second half was marked by volatility amid consolidation.

“2024 was a year of two halves with H1 seeing strong performance of Indian equities and bonds on strong economic growth and corporate earnings delivery. However, H2 witnessed a surge in volatility,” according to the report.

Despite this, Nifty 50 index has gained 9.21 per cent while the Sensex index rose by 8.62 per cent.

Delhi woke up to dense fog on Wednesday morning, significantly reducing visibility. The overall Air Quality Index at 7 a.m. was recorded at 333, categorised as 'very poor', an improvement from the previous day's 'severe' level.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature stood at nine degrees Celsius.

Due to the foggy condition 20 trains to Delhi from various parts of the country were running.

The Delhi Airport also issued an advisory for the passengers. It said that the flights that are not CAT III compliant may be affected and the passengers are requested to contact the airline for updated flight information.