Top News on Dec 30: Sensex drops, RBI report on economy, Jimmy Carter dies, IMD warns of dense fog in north India, more

Top News on December 30: Significant developments across financial, economic, political, national and international spheres happened on Monday. Stock market indexes Sensex and Nifty resumed downward trend, RBI projected GDP growth at 6.6% in FY25 while IT department dismissed claims that the government would use Digiyatra data to crack down on tax evaders.

Political landscapes witnessed heated debates. Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan defending Telangana CM Revanth Reddy over Pushpa 2 actor Allu Arjun’s arrest in connection with Sandhya Theatre stampede case. LG VK Saxena expressed disapproval of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's remarks in a letter addressed to Delhi CM Atishi. Other Key developments include former US President Jimmy Carter's demise, and weather alerts for dense fog and cold conditions. Track all of December 30 major happenings here.

Stock market today: Sensex, Nifty resume downward march; HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank top drags

Stock market today: Snapping its two-day winning run, the Indian stock market's benchmark index, the Nifty 50, closed almost a per cent lower on Monday, December 30, on losses led by banking heavyweights, including HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank amid weak global cues. Stock market sentiment worldwide appears fragile as the year draws to a close, aided by a strengthening US dollar and rising bond yields. Read more here

India FY25 GDP: Indian economy poised to grow 6.6% in FY25 on revival in urban, rural demand: RBI Report

The Indian economy is exhibiting resilience and stability, and the gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow at 6.6 per cent in 2024-25, aided by a revival in rural consumption, a pickup in government consumption and investment, and strong services exports, a RBI report said on Monday.

The Reserve Bank has released the December 2024 issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR), which reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on the resilience of the Indian financial system and risks to financial stability. Read more here

Will govt use Digiyatra data to crack down on tax evaders? Income tax department clarifies

The Income Tax (IT) Department of India, under the Ministry of Finance, issued a clarification on Monday, December 30, over concerns about news reports claiming that the tax regulator will use Digiyatra data to crack down on evaders.

The regulator said that the IT Department has not made such a move to use the data collected from the airport entry interface Digiyatra data as of December 30. Read more here

Pawan Kalyan defends CM Revanth Reddy in Allu Arjun’s arrest over Pushpa 2 stampede: ‘Should’ve visited victim family’

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has commented on the tragic stampede incident involving actor Allu Arjun at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad. In an informal chat with reporters, Pawan Kalyan defended Telangana CM and Congress leader Revanth Reddy. Kalyan said that Allu Arjun and the Pushpa 2 movie authorities should have visited the house of Revathi, the 35-year-old woman who died in the stampede. Read more here

Insult to President: Delhi L-G writes to Atishi, says ‘hurt’ by Arvind Kejriwal calling her ‘temporary Chief Minister’

In a recent letter addressed to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena expressed his disapproval of AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal's remarks referring to Atishi as a "temporary Chief Minister." Saxena described the comments as not only insulting to Atishi but also disrespectful to the President of India and himself as her representative. Read more here

Adani Enterprises to fully exit Adani Wilmar JV; check details here

Adani Enterprises (AEL) on Monday, December 30 said that it will fully exit its consumer goods joint venture with Wilmar International - Adani Wilmar - wherein it holds a 44% stake. The divestment will take place in two phases.

As part of the agreement, Lence Pte, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wilmar International, will acquire 31.06% of the paid-up equity shares of Adani Wilmar from Adani Commodities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises. Read more here

IMD warns of dense fog, cold days and rain in north India; Himachal Pradesh mountains get fresh snowfall

Parts of northern India will face ‘cold day conditions’ over the next few days as Tamil Nadu receives ‘heavy rainfall’. The India Meteorological Department has also forecast ‘dense to very dense’ fog in northern and western parts of the country. An orange alert has been issued for parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Read more here

‘Doesn’t seem like a suicide’: Elon Musk backs Suchir Balaji’s mother who alleges ‘cold-blooded murder’

Elon Musk has supported Poornima Rao's claims of “cold-blooded murder” in the death of her son, Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in San Francisco.

Poornima Rao has called for an FBI investigation, arguing that evidence from a private autopsy suggests that the death, initially ruled a suicide, may have been the result of foul play. Read more here

Jimmy Carter, longest living US president, dies; Justin Trudeau, France’s Emmanuel, others mourn: See reactions

Jimmy Carter dies at 100: Several world leaders and US politicians mourned the demise of former US President Jimmy Carter. He played a key role in brokering peace between Israel and Egypt and also received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has paid tribute to the former US president and said that he has left a legacy of “compassion, kindness, empathy, and hard work”. Here's how other leaders and US politicians have reacted. Read more here