Committee of MPs Meets to Discuss Simultaneous Elections

Joint Parliamentary committee on unified elections meets: The first meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill chaired by PP Chaudhary began on Wednesday morning. Officials of the Ministry of Law and Justice were expected to brief the JPC.

India to soon have 1 billion voters

India eyes 1 billion voters soon: India's electorate now has over 99 crore voters. There has been a 2.2% growth in the number of voters, recorded since the last special summary revision of electoral rolls in 2024. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar announced on Tuesday that the country may soon have 100 crore or one billion voters. 

AAP battles allegations of Kejriwal splurging money on CM's residence: The Bharatiya Janata Party has made the ₹32 crore  renovation of the Delhi Chief Minister's residence a key election issue, dubbing it the “Sheesh Mahal” or “Glass Palace.” Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party leaders countered by inviting media for an inspection and accusing the Prime Minister of extravagant spending on his own ₹2,700 crore official residence.

Central unions oppose labour codes

Opposition trade unions warn of strike over labour codes: A coalition of 10 central trade unions affiliated to various Opposition parties has threatened a nationwide strike against the Union government's move to notify four labour codes. 

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Opposition Trade Unions Warn of Strike over Labour Codes

A coalition of 10 central trade unions affiliated to various Opposition parties has threatened a nationwide strike against the Union government’s move to notify the four labour codes. During a pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the unions urged her to halt the codes’ implementation, while the pro-government, RSS-affiliated

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Sheikh Hasina’s visa extended

India extends former Bangladesh PM’s visa: Against growing extradition pressure, India has extended the visa of Sheikh Hasina, the ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh, who has been in India since August of last year.

US lawmaker slams Biden’s Adani probe

US congressman flags Adani case as threat to foreign ties: Congressman Lance Gooden criticised the Biden administration’s investigation into Gautam Adani's company over the $265 million bribery case, calling it politically motivated and harmful to US alliances. He questioned the prosecution's jurisdiction and warned it could deter foreign investment.

Razorpay to move parent entity home: Bengaluru-based Razorpay expects to shift its parent company from the US to India within six months, incurring a $200-300 million tax outgo. Chief executive Harshil Mathur told the Mint that the fintech startup plans an initial public offering (IPO) after two years of clean financials.

BluSmart enters Mumbai with electric ride-hailing services: BluSmart, South Asia’s largest all-electric ride-hailing service, has launched its services in Mumbai with chauffeur-driven rentals and airport rides.

Meta introduces community notes mechanism: Meta Platforms Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday announced the company’s decision to do away with fact checking teams, and instead establish a ‘community notes’ mechanism. Community notes will enable users to flag misleading content themselves. 

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Microsoft announces $3 billion AI plan for India: On Tuesday, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella announced plans to invest over $3 billion in India's Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure, including the establishment of new data and skilling centres in the next two years. He was speaking at the Microsoft AI Tour in Bengaluru.

IPO volumes may double in 2025 as foreign investors eye India: Indian equity capital markets hit $71 billion in 2024, more than doubling year-on-year across initial public offerings, qualified institutional placements (QIPs), and block sales, according to Goldman Sachs' Asia investment banking head Iain Drayton. He told The Economic Times that foreign and domestic flows could drive another record year for listings in 2025.

Temasek in final talks for $10 billion Haldiram stake: Singapore state investor Temasek is set to acquire a 10% stake in Haldiram Snacks Foods, valued at $10 billion, with a final offer expected within a month.

New ISRO chief

V Narayanan to be the new ISRO chief: V Narayanan is set to become the new chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Secretary of the Department of Space.

India’s low growth rate

India’s economic growth dips below government estimates: India’s economy is expected to grow only at a rate of 6.4% in 2024-25. This is the lowest growth rate in the last four years and the slump is attributed to a slowdown in manufacturing and urban consumption, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).

Wireless data usage drops 

Wireless data usage dips first time since 2022 amid tariff hikes: Average monthly wireless data usage per subscriber fell 0.93% to 21.10 GB in the July-September 2024 quarter, the first decline since 2022, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) report.

ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the Eighteenth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention’s inaugural session on Thursday in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar.

Delhi Today: Hazy. 

Delhi air quality remains in very poor category: The air quality in Delhi remained in the 'very poor' category on Wednesday, with the air quality index (AQI) recorded at 322. An intense cold wave swept through Delhi early Wednesday, causing a sharp drop in temperatures and bringing chilly winds.

Markets: Indian benchmark indices were trading lower on Wednesday. The BSE Sensex was trading 366 points lower at 77,832. The Nifty50 was down 113 points, trading at 23,594.