NATIONAL NEWS
Indian Railways Emerges as the World’s Largest Electrified Rail Network
• Indian Railways has now achieved the top global position in rail electrification.
• Nearly the entire broad-gauge network spanning about 70,000 route kilometres operates on electric traction.
• Over 99% electrification was completed by November 2025, marking a major infrastructure milestone.
• The speed of electrification has accelerated sharply in recent years.
• During 2004–2014, electrification progressed at roughly 1.5 km per day.
• In the past six years, this pace rose to over 15 km per day, reflecting focused execution.
• Indian Railways has also strengthened its renewable energy footprint, especially solar power.
• Solar capacity expanded from less than 4 MW in 2014 to around 900 MW by November 2025, showing a strong shift toward clean energy.
India Achieves Global First in Commercial Bio-Bitumen Production
• India has become the first country worldwide to commercially manufacture bio-bitumen for road construction.
• The breakthrough was unveiled by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari at the CSIR Technology Transfer Ceremony in New Delhi.
• Bio-bitumen offers a sustainable substitute for petroleum-based bitumen traditionally used in highways.
• The innovation is expected to reduce pollution, particularly by discouraging crop residue burning.
• The initiative was described as a concrete step towards the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
• CSIR was commended for translating research into a market-ready green technology.
• Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh termed it a new chapter in eco-friendly highway development.
• The project aligns with the Waste to Wealth mission, turning agricultural waste into valuable infrastructure material.
NHAI Creates Guinness World Records During Expressway Construction
• The National Highways Authority of India achieved two Guinness World Records while building the Bengaluru–Kadapa–Vijayawada Expressway in Andhra Pradesh.
• The milestone was announced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who termed it a moment of national and state pride.
• The records were accomplished by Rajpath Infracon Pvt. Ltd. on the NH-544G Economic Corridor.
• A record was set by laying nearly 29 lane-kilometres of bituminous concrete within 24 hours, the longest such stretch completed in a day.
• Another record was created by placing over 10,000 metric tonnes of bituminous concrete in a single day, the highest quantity ever achieved.
• The 343-km corridor is designed to enhance connectivity between Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• The project is expected to boost trade, tourism, and regional growth through smoother and faster travel.
• Two more Guinness World Records are planned to be attempted by January 11, 2026, on additional packages of the corridor.
STATE NEWS
India to Launch Its First Hydrogen-Powered Train in Haryana
• India’s maiden hydrogen-run train is ready for rollout in Haryana, marking a major clean transport milestone.
• The pilot project is being executed by Northern Railway on the Jind–Sonipat route.
• The Haryana government has confirmed that launch-related preparations are nearing completion.
• An uninterrupted 11 kV power supply has been arranged for the hydrogen production facility at Jind.
• The on-site hydrogen plant, with a 3,000 kg storage capacity, is in the final stage of commissioning.
• The project was reviewed by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, who stressed continuous power monitoring and backup readiness.
• Indian Railways has undertaken the initiative on a pilot basis, following technical norms set by RDSO.
• Hydrogen for the train is generated via electrolysis, supporting India’s green hydrogen and clean mobility goals.
SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE
Conference of Chief Electoral Officers Ahead of IICDEM 2026
• The Election Commission of India convened a meeting of Chief Electoral Officers in New Delhi on 8 January.
• The interaction was part of advance planning for the India International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026.
• IICDEM 2026 is scheduled to take place from 21–23 January at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
• The conference was guided by CEC Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.
• CEOs were informed about the framework, goals and execution strategy of the upcoming global event.
• Thirty-six thematic tracks were discussed, each to be coordinated by CEOs during IICDEM.
• The themes span the entire spectrum of electoral administration, aiming to build a strong global knowledge repository.
• The event will see around 100 international delegates and wide academic participation, including IITs, IIMs, NLUs, IIMC and global experts.
