Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, during the Punjab Bachao Yatra, appealed to Punjabis to support SAD in the upcoming parliamentary elections to protect Punjab's interests against Delhi-based parties like BJP, Congress, and AAP. Accompanied by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, they criticized the current AAP and previous Congress governments for lack of development and addressed issues such as the drug menace and unemployment. They highlighted SAD's past development projects and promised to take Punjabi issues to Delhi.

Punjab Police raided a pharmaceutical warehouse in Ahmedabad and locations in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Tarn Taran, Punjab, seizing over 14.72 lakh banned pills and arresting twelve suspects linked to a drug trafficking network. The operation uncovered the involvement of individuals from Tarn Taran and others orchestrating the supply of banned drugs from prison using mobile phones. Continuous raids are being conducted to dismantle the syndicate further.

Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, criticized the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government for purchasing new cars for cabinet ministers' staff and security guards amid the state's economic struggles. He questioned the necessity of new cars and accused the AAP of misusing taxpayer money. Bajwa also commented on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to a meditation center and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's repeated avoidance of Enforcement Directorate summons, suggesting that Kejriwal was seeking sympathy and publicity for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 29 national highway projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in Punjab, including the Ladhowal bypass and a six-lane flyover in Ludhiana. The projects aim to enhance connectivity in Punjab with the development of greenfield expressways and economic corridors totaling Rs 1.20 lakh crore, linking Punjab to Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and other regions. The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway is expected to significantly reduce travel times upon completion. The event was attended by other dignitaries, highlighting the BJP government's commitment to infrastructure development.

Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, criticized the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government for the haphazard launch of a scheme to deliver wheat flour to households. He highlighted the lack of biometric machines and inspectors to support the scheme's 35 lakh smart card holders and 1.41 crore beneficiaries. Bajwa also pointed out the AAP government's history of reversing decisions after facing backlash, such as the recent retraction of the 'mourning bugle' decision for December 27, 2023.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, a Punjab Congress MLA, was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in a 2015 drug case but soon faced another case for alleged threatening and criminal intimidation based on a complaint by Ranjit Kaur. Khaira, who was arrested after a raid at his Chandigarh bungalow, is accused of threatening Kaur to prevent her from implicating him. Khaira's son, Mehtab, claims the accusations are a conspiracy and seeks justice through legal means. Khaira represents Bholath constituency and is the chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered the State Crime Branch Police to file FIRs against Lawrence Bishnoi following the airing of his interviews from Bathinda jail. Bishnoi and his gang are charged with extortion, withholding information, and destroying evidence. The High Court rejected a Punjab Police SIT report and formed a new SIT led by Special DGP Prabodh Kumar. The interviews discussed plans to kill Bollywood star and singer Sidhu Moosewala, whose father Balkaur Singh Sidhu is seeking justice. The next hearing is on January 10.

Eight cadets from Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute in SAS Nagar (Mohali) have recently joined prestigious military academies including the National Defence Academy, Cadet Training Wings for the Technical Entry Scheme, and the Air Force Academy. This brings the total number of cadets from the institute who have joined service training academies to 226. Punjab's Employment Generation Minister Aman Arora highlighted the institute's success rate and congratulated the cadets. Major General Ajay H. Chauhan announced the upcoming entrance exam for the new course with a record number of applicants.

Punjab Police, under the directive of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, have disrupted a cross-border drug and arms smuggling operation with the arrest of Simranjit Singh alias Simar Maan in Amritsar. The police seized 2 kg of Ice Drug (Methamphetamine) and a .30-bore Chinese Pistol with five live cartridges. The accused was in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers Pathan and Amer, who used drones to supply drugs and weapons. The operation was led by Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and involved teams from CIA Staff-1, supervised by DCP Harpreet Mandher, ADCP CITY-3 Abhimanyu Rana, and ACP West Kamaljeet Aulakh.

Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer released a New Year calendar created by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University, showcasing the state's sportspersons' achievements. The calendar, which includes 202 awardees, is part of efforts led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to revive Punjab's sports heritage. The calendar features special sections for women athletes in March and athletics award winners in May, highlighting family connections among sportspersons.

Ahead of Arvind Kejriwal's visit to Chandigarh on January 21, AAP councillor Lakhbir Singh Billu has joined the BJP, which could impact the AAP's position in the upcoming Chandigarh Mayor elections. Kejriwal, along with Punjab's Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, plans to address a public meeting in Chandigarh to prepare for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The AAP is strategizing for Kejriwal's visit under the guidance of Deputy In-charge SS Ahluwalia, although the venue for the public rally is not yet finalized. Kejriwal has expressed his intention to contest all seats in Punjab, including the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.

Sunil Jakhar, Punjab BJP chief, refuted AAP MLAs' allegations of being offered money to switch sides, calling out their audacity. AAP accused BJP of

The Punjab Government, under Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann, transferred Rs. 19.83 Crore to 17,007 farmers who adopted Direct Sowing Rice (DSR) in the Kharif season 2023. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian revealed that out of 19,114 registered farmers, 18,931 were verified, covering 133,745.67 acres of land. The government incentivized DSR adoption with Rs 1500 per acre to conserve ground water, disbursing the funds through Direct Benefits Transfer, with 98.8% of payments cleared.

An Indian Army officer's dismissal by the Punjab government in 1993 was canceled by the Punjab and Haryana High Court after a 30-year legal battle. The court found the dismissal to be unlawful and ordered the reinstatement of all financial benefits, including retirement benefits. The officer, Rameshwar Das, had faced allegations of a grain shortfall and was dismissed following an investigation. Das had served in the Indian Army and later joined the Punjab government’s Food and Supplies Department, before being deputed to the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation.

The Punjab government faced criticism in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for dissolving all panchayats in August 2023 and replacing them with administrators. In response, the government is preparing for general elections and has instructed the Rural Development and Panchayat Department to provide information on panchayats whose first meeting has completed five years by January 16th for the appointment of administrators. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann suspended two senior IAS officers, D.K. Tiwari and Gurpreet Singh Khehra, over the dissolution decision and a leak of files, but their suspensions were later revoked. The government's actions were legally challenged by Gurjit Singh Talwandi of the Shiromani Akali Dal, who argued that the gram panchayats were unlawfully dissolved.

Bram Shanker Jimpa, the Minister for Water Supply and Sanitation, inspected the Talwara Surface Water Project, which aims to supply clean drinking water to 197 villages in Talwara, Hajipur, Bhunga, and Dasuya. The project, with a 231 km pipeline from Shah Canal Barrage, is expected to be completed next year at a cost of Rs. 258.73 crore. Jimpa emphasized the importance of timely and high-standard completion to address the drinking water issues in the Kandi area.

The Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), North West Region, Chandigarh, under the Election Commission of India's mandate, has set up 24x7 control rooms in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Chandigarh for the upcoming General Elections to Lok Sabha 2024 and Bye-Elections in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. These control rooms are to monitor the movement of large sums of cash or valuables that could unduly influence the election process. The public is encouraged to report such activities, and their identity will be kept confidential. Over 50 Quick Response Teams are ready to respond to any reports.

Punjab Police has collaborated with MapMyIndia to launch the 'Sadak Surakhia Force' project, mapping 784 accident-prone spots in Punjab on the Mappls app. The app provides voice alerts in Punjabi to warn commuters of upcoming black spots. This initiative, announced by DGP Gaurav Yadav, makes Punjab the first state to comprehensively map such locations for road safety. ADGP Traffic Amardeep Singh Rai and Traffic Advisor Punjab Dr Navdeep Asija have expressed that this measure aims to improve traffic management and ensure the safety of citizens at no cost.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Dalbir Singh Deol was allegedly murdered by autorickshaw driver Vijay Kumar in Jalandhar after a dispute. Kumar, who has a history of drug addiction, reportedly shot Deol in the head and seized his service pistol. The incident, captured on CCTV, led to Kumar's swift arrest. Deol's body was found on a road in Basti Bawa Khel, close to his native village. Commissioner Swapan Sharma stated the altercation began when Kumar refused to transport Deol to his village.

The article discusses a case of a woman named Shikha who exhibited bizarre behavior and was initially misdiagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Her condition worsened, leading to seizures and numbness, and she was mistakenly thought to have multiple sclerosis. Eventually, she was correctly diagnosed with Autoimmune Encephalitis at PGIMER after being tested for specific antibodies in her blood or spinal fluid. Dr. Rohit Bhatia from AIIMS and Dr. Manish Modi from PGIMER highlighted the importance of testing for this disease, which was previously underdiagnosed. The disease is aggressive and can be fatal if not diagnosed in time, but it is now treatable. Shikha's recovery was challenging, and she struggled with basic functions post-treatment. The story was shared at the BRAINSTROM 2019 conference of PGIMER's Neurology Department.