National News
‘Draconian, Fundamental Attack On Constitution’: Opposition Slams Introduction Of Waqf (Amendment) Bill In Lok Sabha
After Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced a bill to amend the law governing Waqf boards on Thursday, the Opposition called the move “draconian and a fundamental attack on the Constitution.”
Congress leader KC Venugopal while speaking in the Parliament alleged that the bill would create religious division between communities. “This bill is a fundamental attack on the Constitution. Through this bill, the government is trying to put in a provision that non-Muslims will also be members of the Waqf governing council.”
Venugopal further slammed the Centre calling the bill a “direct attack on freedom of religion.” He said, “Now next will be Christians and Jains…Indians will not buy this kind of divisive politics now.”
He alleged that the bill has been introduced in the house in the wake of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana. “We are Hindus, but, we respect every religion. This bill, which has been introduced today, is specialised for the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections…this is an attack on the federal system,”
However, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the central government is not targeting anyone by bringing amendments to the Waqf Board Act and added that the opposition parties want to “only create an atmosphere.”
“We are not targeting anyone. They (Opposition) want to only create an atmosphere. Our minister will explain in detail when he introduces the bill. They want to misguide some people in the community. They are trying to tarnish the image of India. We are one of the best democracies in the world,” said Pralhad Joshi.
Here is all you need to know about the legislation:
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced on Thursday in the Lok Sabha to amend the Waqf Act, 1995. The bill seeks to “effectively address issues” related to the powers of the State Waqf Boards, registration and survey of waqf properties and removal of encroachments.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Waqf Act provides for the renaming of the Waqf Act, 1995, as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1995.
It seeks to clearly define “waqf” as waqf by any person practising Islam for at least five years and having ownership of such property and ensure that the creation of Waqf-alal-aulad does not lead to the denial of inheritance rights to women.
It also seeks to omit the provisions relating to the “waqf by user”, provide the functions of the Survey Commissioner to the Collector or any other officer not below the rank of Deputy Collector duly nominated by the Collector for the survey of waqf properties, provide for a broad-based composition of the Central Waqf Council and the State Waqf Boards and ensure representation of Muslim women and non-Muslims.
It provides for the representation of Shia, Sunni, Bohra, Agakhani and other backward classes among Muslim communities, streamlining the manner of registration of waqfs through a central portal and database and providing for a detailed procedure for mutation as per revenue laws with due notice to all concerned before recording any property as waqf property.
The bill further seeks to omit section 40 relating to the powers of the Board to decide if a property is waqf property, provide for filing of accounts of waqf by mutawallis to the Board through a central portal for better control over their activities, reform the Tribunal structure with two members and provide for appeals against the orders of the Tribunal to the High Court within a specified period of ninety days.
Crime
Ulhasnagar Woman Harassed in Divyang Coach Of Mumbai Local Train; 2 Arrested

Kalyan: In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old woman from Ulhasnagar was allegedly harassed in the Divyang coach of a Mumbai local train on December 2. The incident occurred on Tuesday, December 2, at around 8.15 pm.
In the video shared by, while returning from work in Thane, she boarded the Central Railways Thane-Kalyan train. After the train crossed Dombivali, the woman argued with the accused, identified as Anup Surendra Singh, and Abhilasha Arjun Nayar regarding the Divyang pass. The woman alleged that after she had a heated argument, the two accused caught her hand and even eve-teased her.
When they got down at Ulhasnagar station, all three, along with another eyewitness, had a huge argument at the station. Railway Police soon reached the platform, where several women intervened and confronted the officers about the incident. The police then later moved the accused to the Kalyan Railway Police Station, and based on the woman’s complaint, a case was registered under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Both the accused have been arrested.
Meanwhile, last month, a 25-year-old transgender person was arrested by the Vashi Government Railway Police (GRP) for allegedly molesting a 28-year-old woman aboard a Panvel to CSMT local train on 2 November. The incident occurred around 12.10 pm when the train was nearing Nerul station. The accused, when he boarded the general compartment of the harbour line train, was seeking alms from passengers. When the train crossed Seawoods station, an argument broke out between the accused and a male passenger who refused to give money.
The man, accompanied by a female friend, asked the accused to move ahead, leading to a heated verbal exchange. During the confrontation, the accused allegedly abused the man and touched the woman on her shoulder, which made her uncomfortable. A complaint was filed and the accused was taken into custody by the Vashi GRP.
Business
India-AI Impact Summit 2026 to generate actionable recommendations: Minister

New Delhi, Dec 3: Reflecting India’s growing role in global AI discussions, the country will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 here from February 16–20, the government said on Wednesday.
For the first time, the global AI summit series will take place in the Global South and the shift signals a broader move toward a more inclusive global AI dialogue, said Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, in Lok Sabha.
“In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the government is democratising the development and usage of technology. The focus is using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for solving real-world problems and ultimately improving lives across various sectors,” said the minister.
In this regard, the government has taken an inclusive and innovation-friendly approach to AI governance. India’s AI strategy has been formed after studying legal frameworks around the world and extensive consultation with stakeholders. A key pillar of India’s AI strategy is its balanced and pragmatic techno-legal approach to regulation.
The summit reflects India’s growing role in global AI discussions. It follows the UK AI Safety Summit, AI Seoul Summit, Paris AI Action Summit (which India co-chaired), and the Global AI Summit on Africa.
This demonstrates that the Summit is situated within a broader global discourse and seeks to contribute to harmonised international cooperation on responsible AI development, said the minister.
The thematic priorities of the Summit, referred to as the seven ‘Chakras’, underline its key objectives. These include Human Capital, Inclusion, Safe and Trusted AI, Resilience, Innovation and Efficiency, Democratizing AI Resources, and AI for Economic Development and Social Good.
These thematic areas encompass issues such as AI safety, data governance, transparency, human-centred development and accountability frameworks. These discussions are aligned to drive the strategic direction of the Summit’s events and deliberations.
The Summit is intended to generate actionable recommendations that contribute to long-term AI governance objectives rather than framing immediate binding regulations.
National News
Maha Legislature’s winter session from December 8 to 14

Mumbai, Dec 3: Amid local body polls, the winter session of the Maharashtra Legislature will be held from December 8 to 14 in Nagpur.
The schedule was finalised on Wednesday at the meetings of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the state Assembly and Council held at Vidhan Bhavan.
The winter session duration was earlier announced from December 8 to 19, when both Houses were prorogued after the conclusion of the monsoon session held in July.
However, the winter session duration has been curtailed as polling during the second phase of the Nagar Parishad and Nagar Panchayat elections is slated for December 20 and counting on December 21.
Speaker Rahul Narwekar chaired the BAC meeting of the state Assembly, while state council Chairman Ram Shinde presided over the BAC meeting of the upper house.
The opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP(SP), during the BAC meetings strongly demanded that the duration of the winter session should be not less than three weeks.
They also demanded that the appointment of leaders of the opposition in the state council and Assembly, respectively, should be done without further delays.
Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab confirmed that he and Congress legislator Satej Patil met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the appointment of leaders of the opposition.
“It is unconstitutional to hold winter session of the state legislature in the absence of the leaders of the opposition,” he said.
He added that the Chief Minister assured them they would “consider the matter positively.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Bhaskar Jadhav criticised the government’s “dilly-dallying” over the appointment of leaders of the opposition in the state Council and Assembly, saying that the government fears the opposition’s presence.
“They (ministers) are not brave enough to face the opposition’s barrage of questions,” he claimed. Jadhav slammed the state government for “curtailing” the winter session, demanding that its duration should have been three weeks.
Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Anil Parab attributed the short duration of the winter session to the impending Municipal Corporation elections in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, and other major cities, suggesting the government is reluctant to address issues comprehensively before the polls.
“A one-week session is not enough to raise all of Maharashtra’s issues. We only hope that at least Vidarbha’s core issues can be addressed since the session is in Nagpur,” he remarked.
Bhaskar Jadhav argued that the government is “not prepared to extend the session” because, despite having a large majority, “they do not have answers to the torrent of questions from the opposition”.
Bhaskar Jadhav launched a scathing attack on the State Election Commission (SEC) for its alleged inaction on pre-election financial schemes.
“The current State Election Commission seems to be blind, mute, and deaf and working for a political party. Previously, the SEC used to immediately stay financial schemes announced just before elections. But this commission is watching with open eyes while government money is being distributed to buy people’s votes,” he commented.
In a sharp counterattack, BJP legislator Ram Kadam dismissed the opposition’s criticism of the session duration.
“These are the same people who used to wrap up the session in two or three days when they were in power. They are now teaching us how long a session should be,” he retorted.
“These frustrated people need medical treatment,” he said.
Kadam affirmed that the Chief Minister and both Deputy Chief Ministers, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, were fully prepared to answer all the opposition’s questions and that the BJP does not work based on election schedules, as elections are a matter for the State Election Commission.
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