ModiWatch: The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi expressed his condolences on the passing of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna. He praised him as an exceptional leader who transformed Karnataka's infrastructure.

Read more:

Parliamentary affairs

Stalemate in Lower House: The Lok Sabha (Lower House) plunged into chaos soon after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress’ nexus with US billionaire George Soros and anti-India forces, prompting Chair Dilip Saikia to adjourn the House for the day.

Upper House adjourned for the day: Rajya Sabha (Upper House) proceedings were also adjourned for the day amid ruckus as members of the government and opposition benches traded charges on the Soros and Adani issues.

Opposition files motion to remove Upper House speaker: Opposition parties filed a motion to remove Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly conducting the House in a partisan manner. It is the first time in history that a ‘no-confidence’ motion has been filed against the Rajya Sabha Chairperson.

Minister rejects no-confidence motion: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissed the opposition's motion of no-confidence against Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar stating that the Vice President’s leadership is trusted and that the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a definite majority in the Upper House.

Opposition’s protest over the Adani issue continues: Several opposition Members of Parliament demonstrated in front of Parliament over the Adani issue while holding black bags with caricatures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani emblazoned on them.

Read the full story:

Building global ties

Defence Minister meets Putin: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met in Moscow. The two leaders agreed that the India-Russia alliance had enormous potential and their combined efforts would lead to "remarkable outcomes."

Sri Lankan president set to visit India: Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the president of Sri Lanka, will travel to India for two days starting on December 15 as his first foreign trip since taking office.

India and EU agree to hold strategic foreign policy dialogue: To work together to address several pressing issues, such as geopolitical tensions and Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, India and the European Union decided to have their first-ever ministerial strategic foreign policy dialogue soon.

Opposition searches for a new face

RJD supports Mamata to become leader of INDIA bloc: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav announced that Mamata Banerjee, chief of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), should be allowed to leadership of the INDIA bloc (united opposition).

Shiv Sena (UBT) open to discuss non-Congress leadership: Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), stated that his party is amenable to considering whether someone other than the Congress can lead the Opposition INDIA bloc.

FDI flow news - brought to you by

Increase in FDI equity inflow: According to figures from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), foreign direct equity investment in India increased by 45% to $29.8 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year.

Read More:

Growth in India

16-fold increase in urban investments: Addressing a press conference on the achievements of the Ministry, the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, said investments have increased 16-fold, rising from approximately ₹1,78,053 crore between 2004 and 2014 to ₹28,52,527 crore ($340 billion) since 2014.

New milestone for the mutual fund industry: Net assets under management (AUM) in the mutual fund industry reached ₹68 lakh crore ($810 billion) in November 2024, a significant rise from ₹67,25,614.61 crore in October 2024.

India’s pharmaceutical market grows by 9.9%: According to data from market research firm Pharmarack, the Indian pharmaceutical market (IPM) grew by 3.1% in volume and 9.9% in value in November.

Growth in the media and entertainment sector: According to recent research by PwC, India's media and entertainment sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3%, reaching ₹3,65,000 crore ($44 billion) by 2028, driven by the growth in overall consumption and the rise in disposable incomes.

Increasing steel capacity to hinder carbon zero targets: According to the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) report, India's intentions to increase its capacity for producing steel using coal could make it more difficult for the nation to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Delhi's second airport

New airport for Delhi: In preparation for commercial operations by April of next year, an IndiGo-operated Airbus 320 was the first aircraft to successfully land and take off from Noida International Airport's runway.

New PAN card issued by the tax department

PAN 2.0 for Indian cardholders: Holders of Indian PAN cards can have a reissued card with a QR code under PAN 2.0 for ₹50. The new card will be delivered to the registered address by the tax department.

Reliance Group seeking debt

Reliance seeking $3 billion loan: Bloomberg News reported that Reliance Industries is negotiating with banks for a loan of up to $3 billion to refinance debt due next year.

Delhi Today: Hazy sun.

Read our latest: