Assembly elections | Four States gear up for counting of votes on December 3
The outcome of the Assembly elections in the four crucial States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana will be known on December 3, giving a peep into the possible political permutations and combinations in store for the Lok Sabha election in 2024.
The counting of votes will begin at 8 a.m. for 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 90 seats in Chhattisgarh, 119 seats in Telangana and 199 seats in Rajasthan, where the election to one seat was postponed owing to the death of a candidate. The counting will be held amid tight security and only people holding valid passes will be allowed to enter the counting centres, election officials said.
Cyclone Michaung | Coastal Tamil Nadu braces for heavy rain as Andhra Pradesh gears up for landfall
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu prepared for heavy rainfall in their coastal districts as a deep depression intensified over the Bay of Bengal, moving northwest and likely to evolve into Cyclone Michaung by December 3 morning. Winds with a maximum sustained speed of 80 to 90 kmph, gusting up to 100 kmph, are expected, the India Meteorological Department said on December 2.
India and the Maldives on Friday agreed to set up a core group to further deepen their partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a “productive” meeting with newly-elected Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu on the sidelines of the UN’s COP 28 climate summit.
SC directs Bihar to remove encroachments near Ganga river
The Supreme Court has ordered the Bihar government to clear unauthorised constructions from the floodplains of the river Ganga, especially in and around Patna. The order came on an affidavit filed by Bihar identifying 213 unauthorised constructions near the river. The State said it was taking measures to remove the encroachments.
In a democracy, the majority will have its way but the minority must have its say: CJI
On Saturday, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said that a society that does not encourage its citizens to think critically, question the powers that be and engage in non-conformist democratic discourse will fail to progress because it will fail to create dissenters.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday attacked the Centre on the latest Railway Performance Report, alleging the Narendra Modi government has left no stone unturned to destroy the Railways. He also accused Prime Minister Modi of indulging in PR stunts by flagging off new trains and not paying attention to safety, convenience and relief of the common people.
After COVID break, Centre approves fourth phase roll-out of GIAN scheme
Eight years after its inception, past its brief discontinuation during the COVID period, the Ministry of Education is gearing up to restart the fourth phase of the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project to rope in eminent scholars from across the world to teach at Indian universities.
NIA conducts searches in four States, busts fake currency racket
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 2 seized counterfeit notes, currency printing paper, printers, and digital gadgets during the raids conducted across four States. The operation was part of the agency’s probe into a case registered on November 24 of a larger conspiracy hatched by suspected individuals for trafficking of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) across the borders and for promoting its circulation in different parts of the country.
Supreme Court to examine plea for transparency in birth records
The Supreme Court has issued notice in a petition seeking the effective implementation and full realisation of the object and purpose of the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969. The apex court issued notice to the Union on December 1.
COP28 climate meet | India not among 118 nations that pledged to triple green energy
As many as 118 countries signed on to a pledge to triple installed renewable energy capacity by 2030 during the ongoing COP28 climate summit in Dubai on December 2 and India is among those countries whose name is not on the list. The other conspicuous absence is that of China, the country that has the world’s largest installed renewable energy capacity.
Global Stocktake should account for failures of developed nations: BASIC nations at COP-28
The BASIC grouping, comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China, has pushed during annual climate talks here that the Global Stocktake should also account for the failures of the developed nations, sources said.
Magnitude 7.5 earthquake strikes Mindanao, Philippines; tsunami warnings issued
An earthquake of magnitude 7.5 struck Mindanao, Philippines on December 2, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said. The quake was at a depth of 63 km (39 miles), EMSC added.