A look at the headlines right now:

  1. Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha today; BJP confident of numbers even as Sena, JD(U) falter: While the BJP has only 83 MPs of its own, it is expecting support from its allies in the National Democratic Alliance and a few non-NDA members.
  2. 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.
  3. Jharkhand High Court grants bail to six arrested in Tabrez Ansari case: The six accused – Bhimsen Mandal, Chamu Nayak, Mahesh Mahali, Satyanarayan Nayak, Madan Nayak and Vikram Mandal – have been in jail since June 25.
  4. Tripura government resumes ration supplies to Bru refugees, to continue till March 2020: Meanwhile, Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum General Secretary Bruno Msha called for a ‘permanent solution’ for the Bru refugees.
  5. Bhima Koregaon accused write letter on being imprisoned for dissent on Human Rights Day: The signatories to the letter said that their bail applications were rejected by the court in spite of the reputations they had.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.