PM Modi inaugurates year-long commemoration of 150 years of 'Vande Mataram'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the year-long commemoration of 150 Years of the National Song "Vande Mataram" in New Delhi. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi stated that this one word connects us to our history, fills our present with confidence, and inspires our future with the courage to believe that no resolve is beyond fulfilment, and no goal is beyond our reach. The Prime Minister stated that November 7 is a historic day as the nation celebrates 150 years of Vande Mataram. He affirmed that this sacred occasion will offer new inspiration and infuse fresh energy into our citizens. To mark this day in the pages of history, a special commemorative coin and postage stamp dedicated to Vande Mataram were released.
Paying tributes to all the bravehearts and luminaries of India who dedicated their lives for Maa Bharati, PM Modi extended congratulations to all present and conveyed his best wishes to every citizen on the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram. This programme marks the formal launch of a year-long nationwide commemoration from November 7, 2025, to November 7, 2026, celebrating 150 years of this timeless composition, which inspired India's freedom movement and continues to evoke national pride and unity.
The celebrations featured the Mass Singing of the full version of "Vande Mataram" across public places, with participation from citizens across all segments of society, in conjunction with the main programme.
SC directions to move stray canines to designated shelters
The Supreme Court on Friday took note of the "alarming rise" in dog bite cases in institutional areas like educational centres and hospitals, and directed that such canines should be moved to designated shelters. A three-judge special bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria passed a slew of directions in the stray dogs case, including asking the authorities to ensure removal of cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, and their relocation to designated shelters. The bench directed the authorities to prevent the ingress of stray dogs into the premises of government and private educational institutions and hospitals, etc., to prevent dog bite incidents. It directed that stray dogs picked up from such institutions shall not be released back in the same place. The bench asked the authorities, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to undertake a joint drive to identify stretches of highways where stray animals are frequently found.
COP30: 53 countries endorse new global fund to pay nations for preserving tropical forests
World leaders gathered at the COP30 Leaders' Summit in Belém, Brazil, to launch the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a landmark global initiative aimed at channelling large-scale finance into the protection of tropical forests. The Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) is designed to reward countries for keeping their forests standing rather than waiting for them to be cut down or degraded. According to the launch statement, it has been endorsed by 53 countries.
The host country, Brazil, described the move on Thursday as a turning point in global environmental finance and one of the most important deliverables of this year's UN climate conference. It creates a system of regular, performance-based payments to tropical forest nations that successfully maintain their forest cover, verified through monitoring tools such as satellites. The goal is to shift the financial incentives in favour of conservation and to recognise the immense ecosystem services provided by tropical forests, from carbon storage and rainfall regulation to biodiversity protection.
Led by Brazil, the facility represents a new model of climate finance that blends public, private, and sovereign capital.
The structure consists of a secretariat, also called the TFFF, and an investment fund known as the Tropical Forest Investment Fund (TFIF). The TFIF will invest sponsor contributions in emerging market bonds and other sustainable assets that exclude fossil fuels and sectors linked to deforestation. Returns from these investments will be used to repay investors while generating funds to reward participating countries.
Of the 53 countries that have endorsed TFFF, 34 are tropical forest nations representing more than 90 per cent of the world's tropical forests in developing countries, including Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and China.
India, a tropical forest country, is yet to formally endorse the initiative.
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