News updates: One nation, one election Bill likely in this session of Parliament

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The government is ready to launch its One Country One Election project and can introduce a bill in parliament in this session, reported NDTV citing sources. The Cabinet has already approved the report of the Ram Nath Kovind Committee on One Country One Election. The government now wants to form consensus on the bill and can send it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC for detailed discussions, sources said.

  Metropolis Healthcare to acquire Core Diagnostics for Rs 247 crore.  Government appoints Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra as 26th Governor of Reserve Bank of India. He is an Indian Administrative Service Officer of 1990 Batch Rajasthan Cadre. He is an Engineering Graduate in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and has a Master's in Public Policy from the Princeton University, USA. Malhotra has worked in multifarious sectors including power, finance and taxation, information technology, mines etc. Presently he is Secretary (Revenue) in Ministry of Finance. In his previous assignment, he held the post of Secretary in Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. He has extensive experience in finance and taxation at the State as well as the Central Government. As a part of his present assignment, he plays an instrumental role in tax policy formulation in respect of direct and indirect taxes.  Vodafone Idea said on Monday it will raise up to Rs 1,980 crore ($233.8 million) through the issue of shares on a preferential basis.  Air India has ordered 100 more Airbus aircraft, the Tata Group owned airline said on Monday. The order, which comprises 10 widebody A350 and 90 narrowbody A320 family aircraft, is in addition to the 470 aircraft order that the airline placed with Airbus and Boeing last year.    Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Bima Sakhi Yojana' of LIC here under which 200,000 woman insurance agents will be appointed over the next three years. The agents will receive specialised training and a stipend for the first three years to promote financial literacy and insurance awareness.

  Amid the ongoing developments in Syria, India issued a statement today calling for maintaining the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the war-torn country.

  More than 40 schools in Delhi received bomb threats on Monday morning via email, Delhi Police said. , "I planted multiple bombs inside (school) buildings. The bombs are small and hidden very well. It will not cause much damage to the building, but many people will be injured when the bombs detonate. If I do not receive $30,000 I will detonate the bombs," the email read, according to an ANI report.  The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the temperature in Delhi is expected to fall to 3 degrees Celsius this week. A cold wave is also expected to affect the northern parts of the country, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, till December 14.  The Maharashtra government plans to submit a proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to include the famous Lonar Lake in Buldhana district in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, officials have said. The move aims to elevate the site as a global hub for tourism and research, besides boosting its conservation, they saidBuldhana District Collector Kiran Patil said the proposal is in its final stage. "We will submit it once it is polished. Unlike other UNESCO sites, Lonar Lake presents a unique mix of several categories. It is a geographical and scientific wonder, formed from a meteor impact, he said.

The elections to municipal corporations, councils and Nagar Panchayats (urban civic bodies) in Punjab will be held on December 21, the state's poll body has announced. State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary said the model code of conduct has come into force in the concerned areas and all the necessary arrangements have been completed to conduct fair, free and peaceful elections. The polling will be held on December 21 from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM and the counting of votes will be done on the same day at the polling station itself, after the completion of polling of votes, he said. State Election Commissioner Chaudhary said that the nomination filing process will start on December 9 and the last date will be December 12 while the scrutiny will be done on December 13 and the last date of withdrawal of nominations has been fixed as December 14.

9:27 PM

PM Modi will respond to debate on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, December 14

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will respond to the debate on the 75th anniversary of India’s Constitution in the Lok Sabha on Saturday, December 14. Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah will initiate the debate in the Rajya Sabha on December 16.

9:26 PM

Himachal receives season's first snowfall, tourist dies in snow-related accident

9:26 PM

Mondelez exploring takeover of US chocolate maker Hershey

7:39 PM

1984 anti-Sikh riots: Court directs CBI to trace witness against Jagdish Tytler

7:39 PM

The INS Tushil was commissioned today in Russia in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

7:38 PM

INDIA bloc leaders hold protest on Manipur issue, say PM should urgently visit the state

6:47 PM

Explosion at fuel depot in central Italy leaves two dead, seven injured, reports AP

6:37 PM

One nation, one election Bill likely in this session of Parliament

The government is ready to launch its One Country One Election project and can introduce a bill in parliament in this session, reported NDTV citing sources. The Cabinet has already approved the report of the Ram Nath Kovind Committee on One Country One Election. The government now wants to form consensus on the bill and can send it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC for detailed discussions, sources said.

6:35 PM

Gukesh loses to Ding Liren of China in 12th game of World Chess Championship in Singapore

6:18 PM

Seven persons, including four college students, killed in road accident in Gujarat's Junagadh district

6:17 PM

Metropolis Healthcare to acquire Core Diagnostics for Rs 247 crore

5:29 PM

Govt approves appointment of Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra as new RBI Governor

Government appoints Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra as 26th Governor of Reserve Bank of India. He is an Indian Administrative Service Officer of 1990 Batch Rajasthan Cadre. He is an Engineering Graduate in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and has a Master's in Public Policy from the Princeton University, USA. Malhotra has worked in multifarious sectors including power, finance and taxation, information technology, mines etc. Presently he is Secretary (Revenue) in Ministry of Finance. In his previous assignment, he held the post of Secretary in Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. He has extensive experience in finance and taxation at the State as well as the Central Government. As a part of his present assignment, he plays an instrumental role in tax policy formulation in respect of direct and indirect taxes.

5:07 PM

Vodafone Idea to raise Rs 1,980 crore through share issue

Vodafone Idea said on Monday it will raise up to Rs 1,980 crore ($233.8 million) through the issue of shares on a preferential basis.

4:54 PM

Tata Group-run Air India places order with Airbus for 100 additional planes

Air India Group announced that it has placed an order for 100 planes — 90 narrowbody A320 family aircraft and 10 widebody A350 aircraft — with Airbus. In February 2023, Air India placed the world's second-largest aircraft order — 250 planes with Airbus and 220 with Boeing. 

4:44 PM

INDIA bloc MPs to move no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar

Reflecting the Opposition leaders' dissatisfaction with Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar's handling of proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, the INDIA bloc leaders are set to bring a no-confidence motion against him.