The week has gone by quite quickly with big stories from India capturing the world’s attention.

This week started with thousands and thousands converging at Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for the one-in-a-hundred years Maha Kumbh. The week also saw India achieving another huge space milestone — it joined four other countries that could achieve two satellite docking in space.

India’s military might also got a major boost this week when the Nag Mk-2 anti-tank guided missile was successfully tested and ready to be deployed to the Indian Army. Also, this week Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned three naval vessels — the INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vagsheer.

But among the many achievements and milestones that India achieved in the week gone by, it was also stunned and shocked when news emerged that Bollywood superstar Saif Ali Khan had to be rushed to hospital after suffering stab wounds when intruders broke into his house in Mumbai’s tony area of Bandra.

All this and more in our weekly roundup from around the world.

1. On Monday (January 13), the world’s largest religious gathering — the Maha Kumbh Mela — began with thousands thronging Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. Even wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell, was in attendance for the first day of the event.

But what makes this Kumbh Mela more special than the previous one? Why does this one, which runs until February 26, hold more significance? Read
our report on it.

2. At the Maha Kumbh Mela, there’s a sea of devotees from all around the world. However, there’s one group of devotees that have captured the imagination of people — the Naga Sadhus. This year, the female contemporaries of the Naga sadhus — mystics with ash-smeared bodies, dreadlocked hair, and minimal clothing — has grabbed the attention of many.

As they pique the curiosity of the public,
our explainer deep dives into who they are and what separates them from their male counterparts.

3. This week, has also seen India successfully testing indigenously-made third-generation anti-tank guided missile Nag Mk-2. Following the tests at Rajasthan’s Pokhran, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), who is the brains behind the weapon, said that “the entire weapon system is ready for induction into the Indian Army.”

Following the trials, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also congratulated the DRDO, the Indian Army and industry for the successful field evaluation trials of the entire weapon system of Nag Mk 2.

What are the capabilities of this new weapon? How will it prove to be a game-changer for India’s military might?
Read on to find out.

4. On the matters of defence and military might, India made headlines again this week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned three naval assets — the fourth and final stealth guided missile destroyer under Project 15B, INS Surat; the Nilgiri-class stealth frigate, INS Nilgiri, and the sixth and final submarine of the modern stealthy Kalvari class built under Project 75, INS Vaghsheer — at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.

At the event, PM Modi applauded the domestic defence-manufacturing sector for taking big strides towards self-reliance, and said the country is now being recognised as a reliable partner across the world, especially the Global South.

If you are wondering what makes these ships special, read our special report
here.

5. On Thursday morning, came the shocking news that Bollywood’s ‘Pataudi’ Saif Ali Khan had been stabbed in his Bandra home in Mumbai by an intruder. The actor was rushed to Lilavati Hospital for treatment where doctors revealed that he had sustained six stab wounds including two deep injuries, with one near his spine. Doctors later revealed that a piece of the knife had been removed from the star’s spine to prevent
spinal fluid leakage.

A day after the attack, more chilling details emerged from the case, including how the intruder had made his way into the house and made his way to the star’s son, Jeh’s room where he then was intercepted by Saif.

Find out what the Mumbai police investigation has uncovered and how this
deadly crime unfolded.

6. This week was also monumental for India’s space agency, Isro. On Thursday (January 16), it conducted space docking by joining together two small craft in space. The historic moment came just days after the space agency, on January 12, brought the two spacecraft to three metres and then placed them back at a safe distance in its trial attempt to dock the satellites.

The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission was successfully launched on December 30, 2024.

With the success of this experiment, India has become only the fourth country in the world with such technology after United States, Russia and China. But how was this historic moment achieved?
Our explainer has it all.

And with this, we are done for the week. If you liked our way of giving you the big news of the week, click
here for more.

PS: If you want more on the Maha Kumbh Mela, read our explainer on the ‘
most beautiful sadhvi’.

Link to article – 

This Week in Explainers: What happened when Saif Ali Khan came face-to-face with his attacker