TODAY NEWS ON December 12, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

Opposition plans impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav

The Opposition has started efforts to move an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court judge Shekhar Kumar Yadav for his controversial statements at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad function recently. Independent MP and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal has initiated the work to submit separate notices to both Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to impeach Justice Yadav. The notice needs the endorsement of 50 MPs in the Rajya Sabha to be considered by the Chairman or 100 MPs in the Lok Sabha to be taken up as an impeachment motion in the Lok Sabha.

Protect Places of Worship Act, say multiple pleas in Supreme Court

Multiple parties moved the Supreme Court on the eve of a Special Bench hearing petitions challenging the validity of the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which preserves the character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947. A three-judge Bench of the Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan is scheduled to hear the case at 2 p.m. on Thursday (December 12, 2024).

Uttarakhand couple donate body of 2.5-day-old baby girl for medical education

For Ram Mahra and Nancy, the joy of becoming parents again on December 8 was short-lived as their baby girl died of a heart ailment just 60 hours after she was born. In the midst of their grief, however, the Uttarakhand couple decided to donate their infant daughter’s body for the purpose of medical education and research.

Will go to ‘any extent possible’ to eradicate manual scavenging: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday vowed to go to “any extent possible” to ensure that manual scavenging and hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks are wiped out, saying the issue dealt with the question of human dignity. “This is something very close to our hearts and minds. We will not leave it. We tell you, we will go to any extent to get our judgment of October 2023 complied with, come what may,” a Special Bench of Justices Sudanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar addressed the Central government, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati.

We don’t have power to monitor quota implementation by other Ministries and departments, says DoPT

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has clarified that it had no “power of superintendence” over other Ministries and departments to monitor the implementation of the reservation policy for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and the Other Backward Classes.

Delhi HC notice to MEA, Indian Embassy in Qatar for consular access to incarcerated Indian citizen

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) issued notices to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Embassy in Qatar, seeking their response to a plea filed by the father of an incarcerated Indian citizen.

India does not endorse Hasina’s statements: Vikram Misri

Briefing the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday said India does not endorse deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s criticism of the interim government in Bangladesh and it remains a pinprick in India-Bangladesh relationship. He said India’s relation with Bangladesh was not limited to a “single political party” or a government and that India was focused on the “people of Bangladesh”.

Russia says Ukraine fired U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles at airfield, vows revenge

Russia’s Defence Ministry said that Ukraine had attacked a military airfield in the southern Russian city of Taganrog on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) morning with six U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles and promised retaliation. The Ministry said in a statement that all six missiles had been shot down or intercepted, but that falling missile debris had caused injuries among some personnel.

Elon Musk’s net worth tops $400 billion, a historic first

Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk’s net worth has surpassed $400 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, setting a new milestone on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) for the world’s richest person. The jump in wealth, the business news outlet reported, came after SpaceX and its investors agreed to purchase as much as $1.25 billion of insider shares in a transaction that valued the rocket and satellite company at about $350 billion.

SC upholds abrogation of Article 370, says move was part of 70-year-old exercise to integrate J&K to the Union

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on December 11 unanimously upheld the power of the President to abrogate Article 370 in August 2019, leading to the reorganisation of the full-fledged State of Jammu and Kashmir to two Union Territories and denuding it of its special privileges. The five-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud confirmed that the President could “unilaterally issue a notification that Article 370 ceases to exist”. The court held that the President had power to abrogate Article 370 if “special circumstances warrant a special solution”.

Parliament Winter Session Day 6 updates — December 11, 2023

The sixth day of the Parliament’s Winter Session sees the Rajya Sabha take up the Jammu-Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and Jammu-Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 as passed by the Lok Sabha for discussion. Both Bills are being discussed jointly. The discussion comes as the Supreme Court passes a judgement upholding the constitutional validity of the Executive Order abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution and scrapping statehood for J&K.

SC verdict on Article 370 abrogation | Conduct J&K Assembly elections by September 2024, SC directs EC

The Constitution Bench of Supreme Court has ordered the Election Commission to conduct elections to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly before September 30, 2024. The top court also directed Centre for the restoration of Statehood. A five-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on December 11, 2023, upheld the constitutional validity of Constitutional Order which abrogated Article 370.

Amid disruptions, Railways (Amendment) Bill passed in the Lok Sabha

The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) in the Lok Sabha, despite disruptions. The Bill was passed five months after it was introduced on the floor of the House. All the provisions in the erstwhile colonial-era Indian Railway Board Act, 1905 are proposed to be incorporated in the Railways Act, 1989 through this Bill. It is intended to simplify the legal framework and reduces the need to refer to two laws. The Bill also proposes to amend the Railways Act, 1989 to provide statutory backing to the Railway Board, which has functioned without such a sanction since it began functioning. The statutory powers seek to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board. The provisions added to the amended Bill authorise the Central government to decide the composition of the Railway Board. This includes the number of members, their terms of service, and their qualifications and experience.

After SEC charges, Adani shuns U.S. capital; to fund Sri Lanka port project on its own

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) has withdrawn the $553 million loan request from the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and instead has decided to fund the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) in Sri Lanka from internal sources. “The CWIT project in Sri Lanka is progressing well and is on track for commissioning by early next year,” the company said in a filing with stock exchanges. “The project will be financed through the company’s internal accruals and capital management plan. We have withdrawn our request for financing from the DFC,” the statement added. “The Colombo terminal project will be funded in-house and it is aligned with our strategic capital discipline. There is no need for capital from the U.S.,” an official said.

Google to open office in Visakhapatnam; Andhra Pradesh govt signs MoU

The Andhra Pradesh government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google. The tech giant will launch its operations from Visakhapatnam in the State. Making the announcement at the district collectors’ conference on Wednesday (December 11, 2024), Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said HRD Minister Nara Lokesh’s efforts have paved the way for this. The MoU was a significant development and would be a game changer. Visakhapatnam is poised for transformative growth, Mr. Naidu said. The Chief Minister, in a post on X, said that the government’s new progressive industrial policies have created a business-friendly ecosystem, attracting investors, and paving the way for employment opportunities.

India accounts for half of all estimates Malaria cases in 2023 in South-East Asia Region

The World Health Organisation’s South East Asia Region contributes about 1.5% of the burden of malaria cases globally and India accounted for about half of all estimated cases in 2023, followed by Indonesia, which carried just under one-third. Estimated malaria deaths in the region fell by 82.9%, from 35,000 in 2000 to 6,000 in 2023. Together, India and Indonesia accounted for about 88% of malaria deaths in the Region. This according to the WHO’s latest World Malaria Report (2024) released on Wednesday (December 11, 2024). The report notes that since 2000 the WHO South-East Asia Region has made remarkable progress against malaria and estimated malaria cases in the region fell from 22.8 million in 2000 to 4 million in 2023 – a reduction of 82.4%.

Explosion in Kabul kills Taliban Refugee Minister Khalil Haqqani

“A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) killed the Taliban Refugee Minister and two others,” Interior Ministry officials said. “The explosion struck inside the ministry, killing Khalil Haqqani, the Refugee Minister,” officials said. Khalil Haqqani is the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior Minister who leads a powerful network within the Taliban. Mr. Haqqani was the most high-profile casualty of a bombing in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power three years ago. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

Man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO shouts on way into courthouse, fights extradition

The man charged with murder in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare made it clear he wasn’t going to make things easy on authorities, shouting unintelligibly and writhing in the grip of sheriff’s deputies as he was led into court and then objecting to being brought to New York to face trial. The displays of resistance on Tuesday (December 10, 2024) weren't expected to significantly delay legal proceedings for Luigi Nicholas Mangione, who was charged in last week's Manhattan killing of Brian Thompson, the leader of the United States' largest medical insurance company. Little new information has come out about possible motivation, though writings found in Mr. Mangione's possession hinted at a vague hatred of corporate greed.