The Delhi Metro’s much awaited Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden stretch of the Magenta Line, which will reduce travel time between Noida and south Delhi, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25. Sources from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said that Modi will flag off the train from Noida, after which the 12.64 km section of the line will be thrown open to the public. This section will also be the model for the first-of-its-kind signalling system, called the Communication Based Train Control.
The new BJP government in Gujarat is likely to be sworn in on December 25, party sources said. BJP has retained Vijay Rupani and Nitin Patel as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat. The election of Rupani and Patel in Gandhinagar was held in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley, the party’s central observer. BJP won 99 seats in the 182-member Assembly, securing seven seats more than the 92 needed for a simple majority, while the Congress and its allies won 80. December 25 is the likely date for the swearing-in as it is the birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the sources said.
The Railways will unveil the first air-conditioned suburban trains for Mumbai commuters from Monday, December 25 - 150 years after the first suburban local was hauled by a steam engine in 1867. The pre-New Year bonanza will see the first AC local leaving Andheri on Western Railway at 2.10 p.m. and reaching Churchgate at 2.44 pm. After this introductory run, six return services will be operated on the suburban sector on all weekdays, with Saturday-Sunday kept free for maintenance purposes. Of these 12 daily services, eight will be operated on congested Churchgate-Virar (Palghar) sector, three between Churchgate-Borivali, both with halts at major stations, while one will ply as a slow service halting at all stations between Mahalaxmi-Borivali.
India has confirmed that the mother and wife of former Indian Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death on charges of espionage by Pakistan’s military court, will arrive in Pakistan on December 25. The two women will arrive in the country through a commercial flight and leave Pakistan the same day after the meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad, J P Singh will accompany the duo during the meeting. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi had issued visas to Jadhav’s mother and wife earlier in the week. The visas were issued after Pakistan decided to allow Jadhav’s mother to visit him, apart from his wife.
The NBA on Christmas Day, a pro-basketball tradition like no other, turns 70 on Monday. The December 25th festivities will mark the 10th consecutive season where fans will be gifted with a five-game slate, including a third straight Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers showdown. The games will feature four of top five MVP (most valuable players) candidates, a handful of rookie of the year hopefuls, 11 all-stars from last season and the top two teams from each conference. Games held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Christmas Day, December 25, have been an annual tradition since the league's second season in 1947.