Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil said on Tuesday that the Union government is committed to making India a 'water-secure nation' by 2047.

He also cited Prime Minister Modi’s focus on sanitation, which led to the construction of 12 crore toilets, benefiting 60 crore people and significantly reducing waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea.

“Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 15 crore households now have access to clean drinking water, and 25 lakh women have been trained in water purity testing. The Union government is committed to making India a water-secure nation by 2047,” said the minister while addressing the second All India Conference of State Water Ministers in Udaipur.

Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in India’s urban areas among persons of age 15 years and above has risen to 50.4 per cent in the October–December quarter in 2024 -- from 49.9 per cent in the same quarter of the previous year, reflecting an increase in employment in the country, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Tuesday.

LFPR for males of age 15 years and above in urban areas increased to 75.4 per cent during October-December period, from 74.1 per cent during the same quarter in 2023, reflecting overall increasing trend in male LFPR.

LFPR among females of age 15 years and above for urban areas increased to 25.2 per cent during the quarter from 25 per cent in the same period of the preceding year.

The Worker Population Ratio (WPR), which is another indicator of employment, also went up in urban areas among persons of age 15 years to 47.2 per cent in Oct-Dec, 2024 from 46.6 period in the same quarter of 2023, according to the government data.

The Gurugram Traffic Police have issued 147 challans worth Rs 14.70 lakh for modified silencers mostly by Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles and pressure horns from January 1 to January 31, officials said on Tuesday.

Out of 147 challans 56 challans were issued for modified silencer and 91 challans for pressure horns.

Earlier the traffic police had issued 753 challans worth Rs 75.30 lakh in the previous year. ‘Silencer blast’, technically an offence called ‘silencer making noise’ under Sections 120 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules and 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, is usually performed by switching the engine off and suddenly on again when the motorcycle is at a high speed and a sound like that of a firecracker is produced. It is usually done in very heavy-engine motorcycles like the Bullet, police said.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday called upon the newly inducted officers of the Punjab Civil Service (PCS) to discharge their duty with utmost dedication, commitment and integrity so that the benefits of flagship schemes of the state government are further percolated to people at grass root level.

The newly promoted PCS officers from A II and C register called on the Chief Minister here at his official residence.

A new poster from the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer ‘Sikandar’ was unveiled on Tuesday by the makers. The poster features Salman in mood lighting with shades of red and green.

The new poster gives fans a glimpse of Salman Khan’s fiery new look, though the filmmakers have kept much of the plot under wraps to keep the buzz building. With every reveal, the anticipation grows, leaving fans excited for more details about the highly-anticipated film.

The film marks Salman’s return to the big screen after more than a year. The superstar was last seen in ‘Tiger 3’. The teaser is further elevated by an electrifying background score composed by the acclaimed Santosh Narayanan, whose music perfectly complements the intensity and grandeur of the visuals.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) announced that its forces had made advancements in their fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on different fronts.

In the fight in Bahri city, north of the capital Khartoum, the SAF has taken full control of the Kafouri area, the last stronghold of the RSF in the city.

"The SAF special forces at Al-Markhiat Military Base are advancing steadily ... in the Kafouri neighbourhood after successful, intense operations, cleaning the area of the militia forces," the SAF said in a statement on its Facebook page.

The capture of the Kafouri area marks a significant milestone in the army's military campaign across the major cities of Khartoum, Omdurman, and Bahri.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has announced a nationwide screening drive for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.

The screening drive will be held from February 20 to March 31. The Health Ministry called on individuals above 30 years of age, to get screened for these diseases from the nearest government healthcare facility.

"Take charge of your health -- join the nationwide screening drive for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) from February 20th to March 31st, and get screened for free at your nearest government healthcare facility,” said the MoHFW in a post on social media platform X.

The Indian stock market on Tuesday traded in a narrow range amid mixed signals from global markets.

Despite fluctuations, the benchmark indices ended the day with only marginal losses.

The Sensex touched a low of 75,531 during intra-day trade but managed to recover slightly, closing 29 points lower at 75,967.

Similarly, the Nifty 50 fluctuated between 22,801 and 22,992 before settling at 22,945, down just 14 points from its previous close.

India's most valuable private sector companies in the 2024 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 have a cumulative value of $3.8 trillion (Rs 324 lakh crore, up 40 per cent), which is higher than the GDP of India and the combined GDPs of the UAE, Indonesia, and Spain, according to the report released on Tuesday.

These 500 companies recorded a 20 per cent increase in their workforce during 2024, adding nearly 1.4 million new jobs and expanding to a total of 8.4 million employees. They now employ around 16 per cent of India's total workforce, highlighting their significant role in national employment, the report states.

In terms of market dominance, the Tata Group holds the crown while the Adani Group has strengthened its grip. Tata Group has retained its leading position with 15 companies, contributing 10 per cent of the total cumulative value in the 2024 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500. Adani Group expanded its presence by adding one more company, bringing its total to 9 companies this year, the report states.