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Emphasising the need to encourage 'Swadeshi' and 'Swabhasha' for achieving the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday urged people to make and use local products and to converse only in their mother tongue at home.

Shah said that language is key to preserving any society, culture and religion. While any language can be learnt or spoken as required to progress in the world, only Hindi and local languages must be used for conversation with children at home, as it will help strengthen their connection with their roots, he stressed.

"Only by adopting the mantra of 'Swadeshi' (indigenous) and 'Swabhasha' (mother tongue) can India become 'aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant)," he said.

The minister was addressing the Maheshwari Global Convention at Jodhpur, where members from the Maheshwari community converged from various parts of the country and abroad.

"If you talk in your language with the children at home, they will be automatically connected to their history, to their state of Rajasthan.... It is the language only which keeps the society alive, religion alive and takes the culture forward," said Shah.

"Speak in any language as is needed at other places, even if it is a foreign language, but speak only in the mother tongue with children at home," the minister said.

Emphasising the need to work towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', Shah highlighted the significance of 'Swadeshi' in making India a leading nation in every field by 2047.

"If we have to reach the top, 'aatmanirbhar' is the only option and to make it successful, the only mantra is 'Swadeshi'," said Shah, calling upon businesses to venture into manufacturing at least one product which is not being made in the country yet, along with what they have already been producing, in order to make 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

The Congress on Saturday launched its 45-day nationwide campaign—MGNREGA Bachao Sangram—against the repeal of the UPA-era rural employment law by holding press conferences at every district.

The opposition party’s agitation demanding the withdrawal of the VB-G RAM G Act and restoration of MGNREGA as a rights-based law in its original form, the right to work, and the authority of panchayats, will continue till February 25.

Press conferences were held at all district headquarters on Saturday, highlighting the manner in which MGNREGA was repealed and replaced by the VB-G RAM G Act in the Winter Session of Parliament. This will be followed by a day-long fast and symbolic protests at the district headquarters on January 11.

"Today, the Indian National Congress is launching the MGNREGA Bachao Sangram with a press conference at each of the District Congress Committee offices across the country.

"The Congress is committed to seeing this struggle through until we secure the restoration of the right to work, livelihood, and accountability that the (Narendra) Modi Government has snatched with its bulldozer demolition of the MGNREGA," party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

From January 12 to 29, chaupals and mass contact programmes will be organised at all gram panchayats, followed by ward-level peaceful sit-ins on January 30 to press for the right to work.

From February 7 to 15, state-level gheraos of Vidhan Sabhas will be organised, while four major rallies will be held between February 16 and 25 before the culmination of the nationwide movement, the party programme said.

Newly-appointed BNP chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said there is “no reason” for Bangladesh to return to the political conditions that existed before the toppling of Sheikh Hasina's regime on August 5, 2024.

Weeks ahead of the February 12 general elections, Rahman also claimed that his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) would lead the country “in the right direction if it comes to power.” Rahman, 60, has emerged as a leading contender for the post of the prime minister.

The Standing Committee of the BNP approved Rahman's appointment as the chairman of the party in a meeting on Friday, days after the demise of his mother, party chairperson and three-time prime minister Khaleda Zia on December 30 after a prolonged illness.

On Saturday, hours after his appointment, Rahman told editors and senior reporters, “We had problems in the past and we still have problems. But, we don’t want to go back to pre-August 5 days. There’s no reason for us to do that.” “Although we have various kinds of differences among us, we should be able to minimise them through dialogue,” he said.

Rahman vowed to steer Bangladesh in the “right direction” if his party was elected to form the next government, adding the democratic process and accountability must continue.

If the spirit of 1971 Liberation War, 1990 mass upheaval against then president HM Ershad regime, and the August 5 uprising could be kept in mind, “I firmly believe, we will be able to guide the nation in the right direction,” he said.

Rahman unveiled some of his plans to transform public life in Bangladesh by focusing on health and economy, among other issues, saying this was his party's aim.

“My personal belief is this: If, at any cost, we can continue accountability and the democratic process, there may be many obstacles, and it may be very difficult. But if we can keep the democratic process going over a certain period of time, we will surely be able to bring change,” he added.

Rahman, however, did not explain BNP’s stance on evolving critical geopolitical scenarios or the changed domestic landscape ahead of the scheduled elections next month.

Six people were injured when a small aircraft of a private airline made a crash landing near Rourkela on Saturday, Odisha's Commerce and Transport Minister BB Jena said.

The incident took place near Rourkela, he said.

"An A-1 nine-seater private flight carrying passengers has met with an accident. The passengers have suffered minor injuries and are stable. It took place at Jalda, 10 km from Rourkela," Jena told reporters.

Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani said there were four passengers, including two women and two pilots, in the aircraft. Captain Naveen and Captain Tarun were piloting the plane, he said. "Two seriously injured persons are admitted to the ICU. They are Captain Naveen with head injury and another person," the SP said.

The injured passengers were identified as Susanta Kumar Biswal, Anita Sahoo, Sunil Agarwal and Sabita Agarwal.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who is on a tour to Sambalpur, reviewed the situation and directed the concerned officials to extend all support from the state to the passengers, pilots and authorities. The chief minister in a post on X said, "…I have directed that the best medical services be provided to those injured in this incident. I am personally monitoring the situation…."

"Three passengers are being treated at J P Hospital, and two pilots and one passenger are being treated at Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH). All injured persons are under medical treatment/ observation and no fatalities," the Directorate of Aviation, Bhubaneswar, said in a statement.

Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Prasanna Pradhan said, "The flight was on its way from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela. It made a crash landing 10 km before Rourkela. There were 4 passengers and 2 crew members. All are safe. The flight is India One Airlines. The flight number is C-208."

Officials said the India One Air type of aircraft (Caravan 208) was flying from Bhubaneswar to Rourkela and it departed Bhubaneswar at 12.27 pm with two pilots and four passengers.

However, around 10 km short of reaching Rourkela, the aircraft made an emergency crash landing at a place near Jalda. "The pilots ensured the landing due to which lives were saved," the official said, adding that district administration officials reached the spot and shifted the injured pilots and passengers to the medical facilities at Rourkela.

The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and all concerned have been informed. As per the regulations, the airline shall be reporting the details to the DGCA / Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) for further actions, he said.

A “deep depression” over the Bay of Bengal has weakened into a “depression” and is very likely to cross the north Sri Lanka coast on Saturday, the IMD said.

Due to the weather system, “heavy rainfall” is expected at isolated places over Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Pudukkottai, Karaikal, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur and Ramanathapuram districts.

According to a bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department, the depression was located about 50 km southeast of Mullaittivu, 60 km northeast of Trincomalee and 140 km southeast of Jaffna in Sri Lanka, besides being 250 km southeast of Karaikal and 450 km south-southeast of Chennai.

“It is very likely to continue moving west-northwestwards and cross the north Sri Lanka coast between Trincomalee and Jaffna, close to Mullaittivu, as a depression,” the weather agency said.

Sea conditions are likely to be very rough over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Indian Ocean areas, improving gradually thereafter, with surface winds of 35-45 kmph expected at times over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, it added.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, while those already at sea have been asked to avoid the southeast and southwest Bay of Bengal, the waters off the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, the Gulf of Mannar and the Comorin area.

A team of 40 police personnel are conducting searches across Jharkhand for two siblings who went missing from Ranchi nine days ago.

The two siblings, aged 4 and 5, went to a grocery shop near their home to buy some food on January 2, but did not return.

"Along with locals, I searched for them in the area but could not find them anywhere. I lodged a missing complaint at the Dhurwa police station on January 3," said their father.

Demanding their safe return, locals have formed a committee, which called a bandh in Dhurwa on Sunday.

SP (Ranchi City) Paras Rana told PTI, "We are conducting searches across the state and in constant touch with the police in Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising 40 police personnel has been constituted for this. We have received some new clues, and investigations are underway."

"All efforts are being made to find the siblings," he added.

Rana said those arrested earlier in child trafficking cases in the last five years are also being interrogated for clues.