FirstUp: Mumbai Trans Harbour Link opening and more: The big news today

This Friday is really busy Ahead of the upcoming weekend, India is set to get its longest sea bridge called “Atal Setu,” which connects Mumbai’s Sewri and Raigad’s Uran. Along with the Atal Setu Bridge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also inaugurate the National Youth Festival in Nashik. A discussion between Congress and the AAP on seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls might take place. Here’s a closer look at how the day will unfold. Inauguration of ‘Atal Setu," India’s longest sea bridge PM Modi will be inaugurating the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) today. The MTHL, also called the Atal Setu, is the longest sea bridge constructed in the country. [caption id=“attachment_13603042” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] MTHL will alter Mumbai’s travel pattern to the east-west from the current north-south. PTI File Photo[/caption] Named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Atal Setu originates from Mumbai’s Sewri and concludes at Nhava Sheva in Raigad’s Uran taluka. The entire project cost Rs 18,000 crore. National Youth Festival in Nashik PM Modi will also inaugurate the National Youth Festival in Nashik and address the youth of the nation. National Youth Day is celebrated every year to honour the ideals and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda. Last year, the 26th National Youth Festival took place in Karnataka’s Hubbali district. Congress-AAP seat-sharing talks likely today Key discussions on seat-sharing between Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party to fight together in the upcoming general elections will take place in their next meeting, held today. [caption id=“attachment_13549292” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks during a protest of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. PTI[/caption] According to AAP Delhi convenor Gopal Rai, his party has maintained its stand on contesting in an alliance with the grand-old party in five states, including Punjab. He said discussion has so far been positive. SC to examine pre-arrest bail plea by Nisith Pramanik The Supreme Court agreed to consider the plea of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik for anticipatory bail in an attempt-to-murder case lodged in 2018. Pramanik has filed is plea challenging the 4 January order of the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court by which it had refused to grant him anticipatory bail in the case. The case was registered against him with the Dinhata police station of Cooch Behar district of West Bengal in 2018 when a group of people opened fire on Trinamool Congress workers. Retail inflation data expected today India’s retail inflation or consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation data for December 2023 is due on Friday. Experts have predicted a rise in retail inflation for the second straight month to 5.9 per cent from last month. USTR Katherine Tai visits India United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai will visit India from 12-14 January, to participate in the 14th ministerial-level meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum. [caption id=“attachment_13394712” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, joins US trade representative Katherine Tai and Emily Fischer, director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, for the Office of the US Trade Representative, in a session of the APEC Summit, in San Francisco. AP[/caption] On Friday, she will also meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and the two will co-chair the forum. She is also expected to meet with Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar. Counting of votes in the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council polls The counting of votes for Assam’s North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) will be conducted today. Voting was held at 231 polling booths, of which 15 have been marked as very sensitive, 26 as sensitive, and 21 as comparatively safe. Moreover, 16 polling stations have been categorised as exclusively for women. Out of a total of 28 constituencies of the NCHAC spread across Dima Hasao, six candidates of the BJP have won uncontested. RBI to auction government bonds worth Rs 33,000 crore The Finance Ministry announced the sale of three categories of government bonds worth a total of Rs 33,000 crore at an RBI auction scheduled today. These comprise “7.37 per cent Government Security 2028” for a notified amount of Rs 7,000 crore through a price-based auction using the uniform price method, a “7.18 per cent Government Security 2033” for a notified amount of Rs 16,000 crore also through a price based auction using the uniform price method and a “7.30 per cent Government Security 2053” for a notified amount of Rs 10,000 crore through price based auction using the multiple price method. Launch of Yuva Nidhi Unemployment scheme in Karnataka Shivamogga is decked up for the launch of the Congress government’s fifth poll guarantee “Yuva Nidhi” scheme today, which offers unemployment assistance to graduates and diploma holders who passed in the academic year 2022-23. The government has promised to give Rs 3,000 per month to degree holders and Rs 1,500 per month to diploma holders who were unable to get a job in the past six months and are not pursuing their higher studies. The assistance will be paid for two years. A day to remember

• Birth anniversary of philosopher Swami Vivekanand
• Birth anniversary of Indian Theosophist Bhagwan Das
• Birth anniversary of Congress politician Priyanka Gandhi
• Birth anniversary of politician Mufti Mohammad Sayeed
• Birth anniversary of chess player Dronavalli Harika
• The 2010 Haiti earthquake killed about 3.16 lakh people
• The world’s largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, made its maiden voyage in 2004