3 Things The Catch Up: SC on Aravalli hills, PM Modi's New Year message (2 Jan)
Jan 2, 2026
This week, the spotlight is on PM Modi's enlightening New Year message, complete with a poetic Sanskrit verse looking ahead to 2026. Delivery workers are on the front lines, protesting unsafe working conditions and excessive delivery times. Exciting developments in India's transport scene shine through, with a timeline for the first bullet train. Lastly, the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the Aravalli Hills keeps environmental issues in the news, while China's claims of mediation in regional hotspots raise eyebrows.
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Modi's New Year Themes
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the nation peace, health, and prosperity for 2026.
- He highlighted virtues like knowledge, courage, compassion and inner detachment via a Srimad Bhagavatam verse.
Pushback Against 10-Minute Deliveries
- Delivery workers across platforms staged strikes demanding a ban on 10-minute deliveries.
- The union argued rapid delivery models are unsafe and sought wage transparency and collective bargaining rights.
India's Bullet Train Timeline
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said India's first bullet train should be ready by 15 August 2027.
- The initial service will run on the Surat-Bilimora section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.