The Early Update (Dec 27, 2024)
1. Manmohan Singh passes away: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who played a pivotal role in opening up India's economy in 1991, passed away at the age of 92. 2. Monetary policy impact: The Finance Ministry noted that the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy stance might have contributed to a slowdown in demand. 3. Political donations: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received ₹2,604.74 crore in donations in 2023-24, significantly more than the Congress's ₹281.38 crore. 4. India-China agreement: The agreement between India and China to end the standoff in Ladakh is being implemented comprehensively and effectively. 5. Temple-mosque disputes: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) commented that current temple-mosque disputes would not have arisen if Hindus had control over Kashi and Mathura. 6. Ambedkar controversy: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for not addressing Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. 7. Rejected votes: Over 10.58 lakh votes were not counted or rejected in the recent Lok Sabha elections. 8. Bapsi Sidhwa passes away: Celebrated novelist Bapsi Sidhwa passed away at the age of 86 in Houston, U.S. 9. PIL against TDS: A PIL in the Supreme Court seeks the abolition of the TDS system, citing constitutional violations. 10. Protests in Patna: A Delhi-based tutor was arrested for allegedly instigating civil service aspirants to protest in Patna. 11. Israeli strike in Gaza: An Israeli strike killed five Palestinian journalists in Gaza. 12. Cold wave in North India: Severe cold wave conditions continue in North India, with no snowfall in Srinagar and Shimla. 13. Rain in Tamil Nadu: Northern Tamil Nadu is expected to experience scattered rains due to a weakened weather system over the Bay of Bengal. 14. Women's cricket: The Indian women's cricket team aims for a clean sweep against the West Indies in the final ODI.