TODAY NEWS ON December 31, 2024

News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: THE HINDU

National news

• ISRO launches SpaDeX mission for space docking
• Demographic data to stop influx along Myanmar, says Ministry of Home Affairs
• Economy exhibiting resilience, GDP to grow at 6.6 pc in FY25: RBI report
• Private Members’ Bills get short shrift in both Houses of Parliament
• Telangana Assembly passes unanimous resolution seeking conferment of Bharat Ratna on former PM Manmohan Singh
• Army installs Shivaji statue on Pangong Lake, Ladakh councillor questions relevance
• ‘July proclamation’ on 31 December to bury Mujib-badi 1972 constitution: Anti Discrimination Students Movement
• Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu richest Chief Minister, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee poorest: ADR
• Security forces destroy four bunkers after gunfights in Manipur
• Defence Ministry signs two contracts on AIP modules, heavy torpedoes for Scorpene submarines

International News

• Federal appeals court upholds $5 million award in sexual abuse verdict against Donald Trump
• Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband won’t appeal his 20-year prison sentence for orchestrating mass rapes
• Taliban orders all NGOs in Afghanistan to stop employing women or face closure
• South Korea to inspect Boeing aircraft as it struggles to find cause of plane crash that killed 179
• Ind vs Aus 4th Test: Australia wins by 184 runs as Indian lineup implodes in final-day run chase

Headlines in Detail

ISRO launches SpaDeX mission for space docking

ISRO successfully launched the Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission on Monday (December 30, 2024). The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) along with 24 payloads lifted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10 pm.

Demographic data to stop influx along Myanmar, says Ministry of Home Affairs

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that demographic data along the Myanmar border, especially in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Manipur, should be mapped to help in fencing of the international border and stopping infiltration. In its year-end review for 2024, MHA reiterated that the Ministry has decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar to ensure the internal security of the country and maintain the demographic structure of India’s Northeastern States bordering Myanmar.

Economy exhibiting resilience, GDP to grow at 6.6 pc in FY25: RBI report

The Indian economy is exhibiting resilience and stability, and the gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow at 6.6 per cent in 2024-25, aided by a revival in rural consumption, a pickup in government consumption and investment, and strong services exports, a RBI report said on Monday (December 30, 2024).

Private Members’ Bills get short shrift in both Houses of Parliament

During the five-year term of the 17th Lok Sabha that ended in 2024, only 9.08 hours were spent on Private Members’ Bills, while the Rajya Sabha spent 27.01 hours on them during the period, shows an analysis by PRS Legislative Research, an independent research body. The Lower House spent 16.43 hours and the Upper House 20.78 hours on Private Members’ Resolution. In the two sessions of the 18th Lok Sabha, 0.15 hours was spent on such Bills, while the Rajya Sabha spent 0.62 hours. The Lower House spent 1.98 hours on resolutions and the Upper House 2.09 hours.

Telangana Assembly passes unanimous resolution seeking conferment of Bharat Ratna on former PM Manmohan Singh

The Telangana Legislative Assembly requested the Central Government to confer Bharat Ratna on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who breathed his last a couple of days ago.

Army installs Shivaji statue on Pangong Lake, Ladakh councillor questions relevance

The Councillor of Chushul in Ladakh questioned the relevance of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji installed by the Indian Army on the banks of Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh, a point also raised by several veterans on social media. The incident comes shortly after the controversy over the removal of the iconic painting of 1971 from the Army Chief’s lounge earlier this month.

‘July proclamation’ on 31 December to bury Mujib-badi 1972 constitution: Anti Discrimination Students Movement

On the last day of the year, the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement of Bangladesh and other constituents of the July-August political uprising in the country will launch a ‘July proclamation’ that will “bury the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh”, the conveners of the Anti Discrimination Students Movement announced on Sunday (December 29, 2024).

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu richest Chief Minister, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee poorest: ADR

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is the richest Chief Minister in India with assets worth over ₹931 crore, while West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee is the poorest with just ₹15 lakh, according to an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report released on Monday (December 30, 2024). The report said the average asset per Chief Minister from State Assemblies and Union Territories is ₹52.59 crore.

Security forces destroy four bunkers after gunfights in Manipur

Security forces have destroyed four bunkers of gunmen in Manipur’s Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts and occupied three others following gunfights last week, police said on Monday (December 30, 2024). “The bunkers were destroyed after massive operations were conducted in the last two days in several areas bordering Thamnapokpi and Sanasabi villages where gunfights took place after adjoining hills-based gunmen launched attacks on the low-lying villages,” a police statement said.

Defence Ministry signs two contracts on AIP modules, heavy torpedoes for Scorpene submarines

The Union Ministry of Defence on Monday (December 30, 2024) signed two contracts related to Scorpene-class submarines worth ₹2,867 crore. The first contract is for the construction of the air independent propulsion module (AIP) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and its integration onboard. The second contract is for the integration of the electronic heavyweight torpedo (EHWT) being developed by the DRDO.

Federal appeals court upholds $5 million award in sexual abuse verdict against Donald Trump

A federal appeals court on Monday (December 30, 2024) upheld a jury’s finding in a civil case that Donald Trump sexually abused a columnist in an upscale department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. The second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a written opinion upholding the $5 million award that the Manhattan jury granted to E. Jean Carroll for defamation and sexual abuse.

Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband won’t appeal his 20-year prison sentence for orchestrating mass rapes

The ex-husband of Gisèle Pelicot won’t appeal his 20-year prison sentence for drugging and raping her and allowing dozens of other men to also rape her while she was unconscious, in a case that revolted France, his lawyer said Monday. Dominique Pelicot wants to spare his ex-wife the ordeal of another trial, lawyer Béatrice Zavarro said in an interview with broadcaster France Info.

Taliban orders all NGOs in Afghanistan to stop employing women or face closure

The Taliban says it will close all national and foreign nongovernmental groups in Afghanistan employing women. It comes two years after they told NGOs to suspend the employment of Afghan women, allegedly because they didn’t wear the Islamic headscarf correctly.

South Korea to inspect Boeing aircraft as it struggles to find cause of plane crash that killed 179

South Korean officials said on Monday (December 30, 2024) they will conduct safety inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country’s airlines, as they struggle to determine what caused a plane crash that killed 179 people a day earlier.

Ind vs Aus 4th Test: Australia wins by 184 runs as Indian lineup implodes in final-day run chase

Eight men around the bat, a Test on the line, and a fifth day climax. A frenzied Melbourne Cricket Ground witnessed all this and more on a Monday (December 30, 2024) that gifted a sporting high to Pat Cummins and his men, who defeated India by 184 runs in the fourth Test.