TODAY NEWS ON December 21, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

Headlines

Parliament Winter Session: Lok Sabha adjourns sine die amidst uproar over alleged ‘insult’ to B.R. Ambedkar

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday (December 20, 2024) amid protests by the Opposition and treasury benches over the alleged insult to B.R. Ambedkar and directions by Speaker Om Birla to members against holding demonstrations at any gate of the Parliament. As soon as the Lok Sabha convened for the day (December 20, 2024), the Speaker called Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to present a resolution for setting up a Joint Committee of Parliament to examine the Bills related to ‘one nation, one election’.

At least 2 dead and 60 injured after car drives into German Christmas market in suspected attack

A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday (December 20, 2024), killing at least two people and injuring at least 60 others in what authorities believe was an attack. The driver was arrested shortly after the car barreled into the market at around 7 p.m., when it was teeming with holiday shoppers looking forward to the weekend.

Congress seeks release of CCTV footage of Parliament protest

The Congress on Friday (December 20, 2024) dared the Bharatiya Janata Party to release the CCTV footage of the events that unfolded the previous day during the protests from both sides over alleged insult to B.R. Ambedkar.

BJP shortlists names for all Assembly seats

The BJP has shortlisted three to four candidates in each of the 70 Assembly constituencies from a list of over 700 names for the election due in February next year, a senior party leader said on Friday.

U.S. House approves funding bill and sends to Senate hours before government shutdown deadline

Hours to go before a midnight government shutdown, the House approved a new plan late Friday (December 20, 2024) from Speaker Mike Johnson that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but drops President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.

Jiribam killings in Manipur a matter of law and order, falls under State govt.: Centre

Responding to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed in the Manipur High Court for a speedy and transparent investigation into the abduction and killing of six women and children of the Meitei community in Manipur’s Jiribam last month, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has now said these are matters of “maintenance of law and order, which fall under the State government”. 

Allahabad High Court grants factchecker Mohammed Zubair interim protection from arrest

The Allahabad High Court on Friday (December 20, 2024) granted interim protection from arrest to fact-checker Mohammed Zubair in a case filed by the Uttar Pradesh police accusing him of promoting enmity among religious groups following a complaint by an associate of controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand.

India ‘strongly protest’ Bangladesh aide Mahfuz Alam social media post

Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday (December 20, 2024) said India had “strongly protested” to the Bangladesh interim government about a social media post by Interim Government’s student advisor Mahfuz Alam that showed a map of Bangladesh that claimed Indian territory.

36 crore beneficiaries verified; 8.39 crore hospital admissions worth over ₹1.16 lakh crore authorised under PM-JAY: Minister

Approximately 36 crore beneficiaries have been verified, and 8.39 crore hospital admissions worth over ₹1.16 lakh crore have been authorised under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) so far, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday (December 20, 2024).

FSSAI seeks quarterly data on expired and rejected food items

To ensure that rejected and expired food items are not being rebranded and sold for public consumption, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all licensed food manufacturers and importers to submit quarterly data on such foodstuffs, through an online portal.

Assam bird sanctuary records 72% decline in bird species count in 27 years

The number of avian species at a major wetland in north-eastern Assam declined by almost 72% in 27 years, a study has revealed.SC asks Punjab govt to shift fasting farmer leader Dallewal to makeshift hospital

Supreme Court on Friday (December 20, 2024) asked the Punjab government to shift fasting farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal to a nearby makeshift hospital at the Khanauri border where his health can be monitored round-the-clock. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked the Punjab government Advocate General Gurminder Singh to file an undertaking during the course of the day with regard to shifting of the 70-year-old Mr. Dallewal to the makeshift hospital setup near the protest site at Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana.

Rajya Sabha adopts motion to nominate 12 MPs to joint panel on simultaneous polls

The Rajya Sabha on Friday (December 20, 2024) adopted through voice vote a motion to nominate 12 of its members to the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise the two bills proposing simultaneous elections. Soon after the House met following an initial adjournment in the morning, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to move a motion to nominate members of the Rajya Sabha to the panel.

Parbhani violence: Devendra Fadnavis announces judicial probe into incident

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday (December 20, 2024) announced a judicial probe into Parbhani violence over the desecration of the replica of the Constitution held in the hands of Ambedkar’s statue. On December 11, violence broke out in Parbhani city after a man damaged a replica of the Constitution, a part of the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The incident had triggered fear among Dalits.

Bombay HC upholds tender awarded to Adani Group to redevelop Dharavi slum sprawl

The Bombay High Court on Friday (December 20, 2024) upheld the tender awarded to Adani Properties Private Limited by the Maharashtra government for the Dharavi slum redevelopment project in Mumbai. A Division Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar dismissed a petition filed by UAE-based Seclink Technologies Corporation challenging the State government’s decision to award the project to Adani Properties Private Ltd.

More student loans canceled in Biden’s final round of forgiveness before leaving office

The Biden administration is canceling federal student loans for another 55,000 workers through an existing program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The Education Department’s announcement Friday (December 20, 2024) targets teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials and others who’ve reached eligibility through the program, which promises to erase loans after 10 years of work in government or nonprofit jobs.