1.At least 30 people were killed and 60 injured in a pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area of the Mahakumbh early Wednesday as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya, one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar.

2.The state government has signed 145 MoUs with various companies which have proposed to invest Rs 12.89 lakh core, thereby generating employment for over 8.94 lakh people.

3.The government Wednesday approved a Rs16,300-crore National Critical Minerals Mission, envisaging a total outlay of Rs34,300 crore spread over seven years, with an aim to achieve self-reliance and accelerate India’s journey towards green energy transition.

4.Green economy could directly contribute Rs2 lakh crore to Odisha’s GDP, boosting it by 23 per cent by 2030 and positioning the state as a leader in India’s green growth, according to a study conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW)

5. The Supreme Court Wednesday directed the Centre for a legal framework to provide a safeguard to domestic workers observing their exploitation and a “legal vacuum” over the protection of their rights.

6.Dr Sarthak Patnaik, has been appointed as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Indian ice hockey team at the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China. The games will take place from February 7 to 14, 2025.

7.The launch of e-KYC (Know Your Customer) by the state government to ensure transparency in the food security scheme under public distribution system (PDS) has exposed the ugly secrets in the scheme, a report said.

8.Palm jaggery, known for its unique taste, has become a sustainable means of livelihood for farmers in Gajapati district as around 400 farmers from R Udayagiri, Nuagada, and Ramagiri blocks are engaged in its production.

9.The Supreme Court recently said the Railways required immediate corrective steps for the “lapses” in the management of catering stalls at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai.

10.Union Cabinet Wednesday approved a three per cent increase in the procurement price for ethanol made from C-heavy molasses to `57.97 per litre for the 2024-25 supply year, while keeping rates unchanged for other feedstocks.

11. A federal judge Tuesday temporarily blocked a push from President Donald Trump to pause federal funding while his administration conducts an across-theboard ideological review to uproot progressive initiatives.

12.Two types of extremism with their origins in the Indian subcontinent -- pro-Khalistan extremism and Hindu nationalist extremism -- have been fl agged as threats to “understand” in a leaked report into the UK government's ‘Extremism Review'.

13.Digital payments across the country registered an 11.11 per cent year-on-year rise as September 2024, according to RBI’s index that measures the adoption of online transactions.

14.Gold prices rallied Rs910 to hit a fresh all-time high of Rs83,750 per 10 grams in the national capital Wednesday due to heavy buying from jewellers and retailers, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

15.Former world no 1 Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth entered the second round of the Thailand Masters BWF Super 300 event with a straight-game win over his opponent here Wednesday. Srikanth defeated Israel's Danii Dubovenko 21-13 21-18 in the men's singles opening round.