Top news headlines of today – 18 Dec 2025

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up a duration discussion on air pollution in the Delhi National Capital Region on Thursday.

Congress member Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is expected to initiate the discussion. DMK member K Kanimozhi and BJP member Bansuri Swaraj have also given notices for raising the discussion.

Earlier in the wee hours of Thursday, the Lok Sabha completed the discussion on the new rural jobs bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREG Act.

The discussion on the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, concluded past midnight on Wednesday and saw the participation of 98 members. The Lok Sabha adjourned at 1:35 AM.

Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is scheduled to reply to the debate on Thursday, after which the debate on air polluion is likely to be taken up.

Follow this page as we track big developments of the day...

Dec 18, 2025 17:51 IST
Lok Sabha passes G RAM G Bill to replace MGNREGA amid opposition protests
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA with a new initiative that guarantees rural jobs for 125 days every year amid vociferous protests by the Opposition, and Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asserting that the change was necessary to fix shortcomings in the scheme.
Responding to the eight-hour discussion on the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, Rural Development Minister Chouhan lashed out at the Congress, claiming that the opposition party had "killed" the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi many times over and used his name to further political gains. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 17:46 IST
Delhi sees nearly 76% spike in PUC issuance ahead of ‘No PUC, No Fuel’ rule enforcement
The number of Pollution Under Control certificates issued in Delhi rose by nearly 76 per cent on December 17, a day before the 'No PUCC, No Fuel' rule came into force in the national capital, official data shows.
Earlier this week, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that vehicles without a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate will not be provided fuel at petrol pumps in the city from Thursday. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 17:44 IST
Karnataka Assembly passes country's maiden anti-hate speech law
The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the country's maiden anti-hate speech legislation, which the BJP termed as a "Brahmastra" against the opposition and the media with an eye on "vote bank politics".
The Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill was passed in the House amid din by the BJP MLAs, with the government referring to the Supreme Court observations against hateful remarks.
The bill has a provision for a fine up to Rs one lakh and a jail term up to seven years. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 17:39 IST
HC, local courts and banks in Mumbai, Nagpur get bomb threat mails, turn out to be hoax
A wave of coordinated bomb emails threatening to target the Bombay High Court, several local courts, and key financial institutions across Mumbai and Nagpur on Thursday caused widespread panic and paralysed legal proceedings.
Police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted extensive sweeps before declaring all these threats as hoax as no explosives were found. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 17:29 IST
BJP alleges 'sponsored' fire in slum to protect illegal voters; TMC, Cong dismiss charge
The BJP on Thursday alleged that the massive fire at Ghuni slum in New Town near Kolkata was "sponsored" to protect illegal voters amid the SIR of electoral rolls, a charge rejected by the ruling TMC and opposition Congress.
BJP leader and West Bengal co-in-charge Amit Malviya claimed that data from the ASD (Absent, Shifted, Dead) list of six booths under Ghuni village raised serious questions about the blaze that broke out on Wednesday evening. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 16:28 IST
India, Oman sign free trade pact; 98% of Indian exports to get duty-free access
India and Oman signed a free trade agreement on Thursday, which will provide duty free access to 98 per cent of India's exports including textiles, agri and leather goods in Oman.
On the other hand, India will reduce tariffs on Omanese products such as dates, marbles and petrochemical items.
The deal is expected to come into force from the first quarter of next fiscal. The pact is coming at a time when India is facing steep 50 per cent tariffs in its largest export destination, the US. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 13:50 IST
Lok Sabha passes G RAM G bill to replace MGNREGA; opposition tears copy of bill
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to replace the 20-year-old MGNREGA with a new initiative that guarantees rural jobs for 125 days every year amid vociferous protests by the Opposition.
Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan responded to the eight-hour discussion on The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, asserting that the Modi government was ensuring that the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi were upheld through various initiatives taken by it. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 13:21 IST
‘Not single job done’: Parvesh Verma slams previous AAP govt over Delhi pollution
Delhi cabinet minister Parvesh Verma on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the previous AAP government, alleging that it failed to carry out even basic civic works over the past decade, leaving the present administration to address long-pending issues ranging from garbage mountains and broken roads to pollution and Yamuna cleaning.
Verma said that if even a single substantial work had been done earlier, the city would not be facing the current situation. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 12:38 IST
Delhi Traffic Police tightens PUC checks, bars fuel to violators
The Delhi Traffic Police on Thursday intensified enforcement across the city as a ban on the entry of non-Delhi private vehicles below BS-VI standards and the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force.
Traffic police personnel were seen personally checking pollution under control (PUC) certificates of vehicles before allowing refuelling at petrol pumps.
"Multiple teams of the Delhi Traffic Police have been deployed at key entry points into the city to stop non-compliant vehicles and ensure strict adherence to the curbs," a Delhi Traffic Police officer said. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 11:46 IST
Ram Sutar: A sculptor who shaped modern India’s monumental art
Ram V Sutar, the legendary sculptor whose monumental creations, including the Statue of Unity, defined the country's public art landscape, was instrumental in giving Indian memorial sculpture global recognition.
Sutar, who passed away late on Wednesday night at the age of 100, was a towering figure of modern Indian sculpture.
In a career spanning over seven decades, he created some of the country’s most iconic statues and memorials, blending artistic realism with historical depth. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 11:09 IST
Opposition MPs hold protest march in Parliament complex, demand withdrawal of G RAM G bill
With photographs of Mahatma Gandhi in hand, several opposition MPs on Thursday took out a protest march inside the Parliament House complex against the government's G RAM G bill and demanded its withdrawal.
Behind a huge banner that had 'Mahatma Gandhi NREGA' written on it, they marched from the Gandhi statue at Prerna Sthal to Makar Dwar, raising slogans against the government. READ MORE



Dec 18, 2025 11:02 IST
Dense fog envelops Delhi-NCR; AQI remains 'very poor' at 358
New Delhi: Dense fog enveloped large parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday morning, significantly reducing visibility and disrupting traffic across the region.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 11:01 IST
Three Naxalites killed in encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma
Sukma: Three Naxalites, including a woman, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district on Thursday, police said.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 10:31 IST
AI Express flight from Jeddah to Kozhikode makes emergency landing at Cochin airport
Kochi: An Air India Express flight from Jeddah to Kozhikode with 160 passengers carried out an emergency landing at the Cochin International Airport here on Thursday due to issues involving its landing gear and tyre failure, an official said.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 09:10 IST
Bengal SIR: EC to start issuing SIR hearing notices to 32 lakh unmapped voters
Kolkata: The Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in West Bengal will begin issuing notices for hearing from Thursday, marking the next phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), an official said.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 08:50 IST
Convicted in cheating case, Maharashtra minister Kokate stripped of his portfolios
Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate has been stripped of his portfolios following his conviction in a 1995 cheating and forgery case, with Governor Acharya Devvrat reassigning his ministries to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 08:49 IST
India left out of Pax Silica: US says door is open without specific explanation
New York/Washington: The US views India as a “highly strategic potential partner” in supply chain security-related efforts and welcomes the opportunity to engage with the country, following New Delhi's exclusion from a recently launched Washington-led initiative on silicon supply chain.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 08:47 IST
Lamborghini zips at 252 kmph on Bandra-Worli Sea Link; car seized, FIR filed
Mumbai: The Mumbai police have seized a Lamborghini car after its driver was found running it at a breakneck speed of 252 kilometres per hour on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in the city, officials have said.
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Dec 18, 2025 08:33 IST
Delhi: Entry ban on private vehicles below BS-VI comes into force
New Delhi: The ban on entry of non-Delhi private vehicles below BS-VI standards and the enforcement of the 'No PUC, No Fuel' rule came into force in the national capital on Thursday, as authorities stepped up measures to tackle worsening air pollution.
Read more...



Dec 18, 2025 08:04 IST
Dehradun air quality slips to ‘poor’ category
Dehradun: Air quality in Dehradun has deteriorated over the past two days, slipping into the ‘poor’ category and raising concerns.
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