PM Modi to Inaugurate Commonwealth Speakers' Conference; Pakistan, Bangladesh Absent

• PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) on Thursday.
• 42 of 56 member nations are expected to participate, marking the highest attendance in the conference's history.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that Bangladesh will not be represented due to parliamentary suspension, and Pakistan is also unlikely to send delegates.
• The event, held at Samvidhan Sadan from January 14-16, will host 61 speakers and presiding officers.
• Discussions will cover parliamentary values, democratic governance, institutional cooperation, and topics like AI in Parliament and social media's impact.

Why It Matters: PM Modi inaugurates record-attendance Commonwealth Speakers' Conference; Pakistan and Bangladesh skip event.