A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Internet and SMS services shut down in Tripura for 48 hours amid unrest over Citizenship Bill: A US House panel said that the religious criterion for the bill undermines pluralism. A US commission on religious freedom also sought sanctions against Home Minister Amit Shah. Meanwhile, a group of 625 intellectuals warned of ‘untold suffering’ and irreparable damage to India due to the bill.    
  2. Uddhav Thackeray now says Shiv Sena won’t back Citizenship Bill unless ‘things are clear’: Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the bill an attack on the Constitution, and footballer-turned-politician Bhaichung Bhutia asked the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha to quit the NDA in protest against the bill.
  3. Lok Sabha approves bill extending SC/ST reservation in legislatures: The reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Anglo Indians is to expire on January 25, 2020. This bill extends the quota by 10 years.
  4. Dalit girl smeared with black ink and paraded around school in Haryana, teacher booked: The nine-year-old was punished for failing to score the minimum marks required in an English examination. 
  5. Pakistan says Citizenship Bill is expansionist, a step towards making India a Hindu nation: The proposed law violates human rights agreements and bilateral pacts, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said.   
  6. Delhi court to rule on charges against MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on December 16 in Unnao rape case: District Judge Dharmesh Sharma reserved his judgement after hearing the arguments of the CBI and the legislator’s lawyer.   
  7. Detention order of NRI businessman Mubeen Shah revoked permanently: Shah was freed from Agra Central Jail on December 6 after the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory administration initially ordered his temporary release.   
  8. CRPF constable kills two seniors, injures another in Bokaro in Jharkhand: They belonged to the CRPF’s 226th battalion, which was on poll duty.   
  9. BHU Muslim professor changes department after protests against his appointment to Sanskrit wing: Students called off their protests after Firoz Khan resigned from the Sanskrit department. He will now teach the language in the Arts faculty.   
  10. Tata Steel extends its HR benefits to partners of LGBTQ+ employees: Under the new policy, the partners can avail health benefits, and employees will be provided financial assistance for gender reassignment surgery.