Around 20 crore workers are on a two-day, nationwide strike today to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's labour policies. Meanwhile, farmers and students from across the country will join the general strike. According to AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur, sectors like banking, education, coal, steel, telecom, health, electricity, insurance and transport, inter alia, are likely to extend support to the strike. "AIKS and Bhumi Adhikar Andolan will observe 'gramin hartal', rail roko and road roko on January 8 and 9, the day trade unions are observing nationwide general strike. This move is against the Modi government's failure to address rural distress issues, to save rural farmers' lands from the corporates," said Hannan Mollah, general secretary of the CPI(M)-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS).

Top 10 developments on 2-day strike by trade union:

1. Who is supporting?

Farmers, 10 central trade unions, student and teacher organisations are supporting the strike. The 10 central trade unions going on strike include Indian the National Trade Union Congress, All India Trade Union Congress, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Centre of Indian Trade Unions, Trade Union Coordination Centre, Self Employed Women's Association, All India United Trade Union Centre, All India Central Council of Trade Unions, Labour Progressive Federation, and United Trade Union Congress.

2. Police in Kolkata detains CPM workers protesting in support of a 48-hour nationwide strike called by central trade unions. Their demands include minimum wages and social security schemes among others.

3. In Odisha, members of central trade unions are holding protests and have blocked commuters in Bhubaneswar demanding minimum wages and social security schemes among others.

Around 29,000 employees of the transport service BEST are also going on an indefinite strike Due to the strike, around 25 lakh passengers, who travel by 3000 BEST buses that ply on streets of Mumbai city and the metropolitan region every day, will be inconvenienced.

Their demands: Renewal of salary agreements that expired in 2016, a hike in gratuity and bonus, merger of BEST and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budgets.

Coal India is expected to lose at least 3.6 million tonnes (mt) of production after four central trade unions (CTUs) decided to join the nationwide strike. This comes in the wake of at least 10 power plants in the country facing severe coal shortages at the very beginning of the new calendar year and Coal India boosting its production to meet the demand from power companies.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) and the Federation of Central University Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) will join the labour strike.

Reason: They are protesting against unemployment and "anti-labour, anti-people and anti-national policies of the BJP-led NDA government.

A number of students' organisations and political parties have called an 11-hour northeast 'bandh' to protest the Citizenship Amendment Bill which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"I do not want to spend a single word on this. In West Bengal, we have taken a stand of not supporting any bandh. Enough is enough. In the last 34 years, they (Left Front) have destroyed the state by calling bandh. There will be no bandh," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

9. Odisha schools, colleges to remain closed: All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities in Odisha will remain closed today. A notification to this effect was issued by the Higher Education Department on Monday.

10. Kerala Govt to bring an ordinance to prevent the destruction of private property during hartal: Taking note of the rampant incidents of violence in the state of Kerala, the state government is considering an ordinance to prevent the destruction of private property during the hartal.