Top news this week: Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Bill, COP28 Summit, RBI MPC meeting and more

Here are the key news highlights from the week.

Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Bill

The Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, have been passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

These bills, according to Union Minister Amit Shah, aim to address historical injustices and restore rights to those who were deprived of them in the Union Territory.

One of the bills specifically focuses on providing representation to individuals who became internal refugees and allocates one seat in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for those displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

COP28 Summit

Tensions arose among countries at the COP28 summit in Dubai on Saturday regarding a potential agreement to gradually eliminate the use of fossil fuels. This disagreement puts in jeopardy the efforts to achieve a historic commitment to eventually halt the reliance on oil and gas, marking a crucial aspect of the global warming discussions that have spanned three decades.

Several nations, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, were adamant during the negotiations at the Dubai COP28 summit that the primary focus should be on reducing climate pollution rather than specifically addressing the fossil fuels responsible for it, as reported by observers.

Mahua Moitra’s expulsion

Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, representing the Trinamool Congress, faced expulsion on Friday afternoon for what was deemed as ‘unethical conduct.’

This decision swiftly followed the presentation of an Ethics Committee report on the cash-for-query controversy in the Lok Sabha. Opposition members raised concerns about the panel’s procedures and called for a discussion on the report.

Karni Sena Chief Murder

Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jaipur on Tuesday. Along with him, two more people were injured during the attack, according to Jaipur police.

The incident took place in the Shyam Nagar area in the afternoon, police told PTI. According to the police, four people entered a house where Gogamedi was already present. Within no time, they began firing at him and ran away leaving him in a pool of blood. Soon after the attack, Gogamedi was taken to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph told PTI.

Delay over Rajasthan CM pick

The next Chief Minister of Rajasthan remains uncertain as suspense continues. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including key contenders Vasundhara Raje and Yogi Balaknath, have held meetings with the party leadership.

Amidst rumours of “resort” politics, reportedly orchestrated by Raje’s son Dushyant Singh, Yogi Balaknath mentioned in a recent tweet that he is still in the process of gaining experience under the guidance of the Prime Minister.

Cyclone ‘Michaung’

During December 3 and 4, Chennai and the surrounding regions in Chengelpet, Kancheepuram, and Tiruvallur districts experienced intense rainfall as a result of Cyclone ‘Michaung.’ This led to significant flooding, causing damage to properties and unfortunate loss of lives.

In response to the situation, the Chief Minister conducted a high-level meeting at the Secretariat to assess the flood damage and discuss relief measures, PTI reported.

Following the meeting, the government issued a press release stating that Chief Minister Stalin had directed an increase in compensation for rain-affected crops, specifically those with damages of 33 per cent and above, including paddy. The compensation has been raised from ₹13,500 per hectare to ₹17,000.

RBI MPC meeting

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) refrained from surprising the market as on expected lines it kept policy rates and stance unchanged on Friday, December 8.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI unanimously decided to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent after its December meeting. The MPC maintained the policy stance of ‘withdrawal of accommodation’ by the majority of 5 out of 6 members. Read here

SIPs hit new low

The net inflow to equity mutual funds fell to ₹15,536 crore in the month of November from ₹19,957 crore in October, revealed the AMFI (Association of Mutual Funds in India) data for the month of November.

The number of systematic investment plans (SIPs) exceeded ₹17,000 crore for the first time. The SIP book for the month reached ₹17,073 crore, surpassing the October figure of ₹16,928 crore, shows AMFI data.

(With inputs from agencies)