Dharavi Redevelopment Project on Dec 16 said the slum redevelopment project was awarded to it by the previous Congress-Shiv Sena government (Maha Vikas Aghadi or MVA) through a fair and open international bidding.

In a statement, an Adani Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRPPL) spokesperson said financial conditions, including the obligations and incentives, were known to all bidders.

This came on a day when Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena took a street march from Dharavi to Adani’s office in Mumbai to protest Maharashtra government’s allegedly favouring the conglomerate.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Dec 15 said it signed the hosting rights agreement of the 2025 Champions Trophy with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai.

The agreement for the 2025 mega event was signed by Zaka Ashraf who heads the Cricket Management Committee running the PCB affairs at the moment.

Pakistan last hosted an ICC event in 1996 -- the ODI World Cup.

Pakistan was guaranteed to host the 2009 Champions Trophy and also matches of the 2011 World Cup at home but the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009 in Lahore led to both events being moved from the country due to security concerns.

The biggest challenge surrounding Pakistan hosting the Champions Trophy remains whether the Indian government would allow its team to travel to Pakistan for its matches.

The PCB had to agree to a hybrid model of the Asia Cup in August-September and share matches with Sri Lanka after the BCCI said its team would not play in Pakistan due to security concerns.

Pakistan did host the 2008 Asia Cup in its entirety and that was the last time India played in Pakistan.

The PCB said in a statement that it has already conveyed to the government to provide foolproof security to visiting international teams for the Champions Trophy.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar in a recent meeting with the Chairman of the PCB Management Committee assured the security agencies' cooperation in the successful hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Another logistical problem facing the PCB would be to get its existing international venues renovated and ready for the matches of the mega event.

Presently, only Karachi, Lahore and Multan have stadiums capable of hosting Champions Trophy games.

Christophe Galtier stood trial on Dec 15  for accusations of racism during his time as coach of his former club Nice and said some of the comments he made during that period had been taken out of context or distorted.

If found guilty of psychological harassment and discrimination, the 57-year-old Galtier risks a maximum sentence of three years in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros (USD 49,000).

Galtier denies accusations that he made racist and anti-Muslim comments when in charge of southern French club Nice from 2021-22, where he coached before taking charge of Paris Saint-Germain from 2022-23.

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were honoured as the International Tennis Federation’s 2023 ITF World Champions on  Dec 14  after being the only singles players to reach at least the semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments this season.

Djokovic, who finished at No. 1 in the ATP rankings for a record-extending eighth time, won the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open to raise his major trophy total to a men’s-leading 24 and was the runner-up at Wimbledon. He went 56-7 and led the men’s tour with seven titles.

This is his eighth ITF World Champion award, also a record.

Sabalenka received the honour for the first time after winning the Australian Open for her first Grand Slam title, finishing as the runner-up at the U.S. Open and making it to the semifinals at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Sabalenka made her debut at No. 1 in the WTA rankings in September, before finishing the year at No. 2 behind Iga Swiatek, the WTA Player of the Year.

Other ITF World Champions included Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens in women’s doubles, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in men’s doubles, Diede de Groot in the women’s wheelchair category, Alfie Hewett in the men’s wheelchair category, Niels Vink in the quad wheelchair category, and Alina Korneeva and Joao Fonseca in the juniors categories.

ITF World Champion selections place extra emphasis on Grand Slam events and ITF international team competitions.

Q1. The bilateral trade between India and Oman in 2022-23  stood at

1. 12.3 billion
2. 13.5 billion
3. 14.3 billion
4. 15.2 billion
5. None of These

Q2. Name the person who has been appointed by the Aam Aadmi Party as the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha in place of Sanjay Singh ?

1. Raghav Chadha
2. Dharamvir Gandhi
3. Sushil Kumar Rinku
4. Harinder Singh Khalsa
5. None of These

Q3. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on  Dec 17 launched the second edition of the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in

1. Prayagraj
2. Varanasi
3. Ayodhya
4. Mathura
5. None of These

Q4. Name the Associate Attorney General of the US and  Indian-American  who  will step down from the post in February 2024 ?

1. Raja Krishnamoorthi
2. Ro Khanna
3. Vanita Gupta
4. Tulsi Gabbard
5. None of These

Q5. Name the Sultan of Oman who visited  India recently  ?

1. Theyazin bin Haitham
2. Said bin Taimur
3. Qaboos bin Said
4. Haitham bin Tarik
5. None of These

Answers

1-------------------------------------1    12.3 billion

2---------------------------------1    Raghav Chadha

3-----------------------------------2  Varanasi

4---------------------------------------3      Vanita Gupta

5------------------------------------------4    Haitham bin Tarik

A day after intruders made a mockery of Parliament’s security cover, fugitive Lalit Jha, said to be the mastermind of the whole drama, was arrested. He surrendered before Kartavya Path Police Station in New Delhi. He has been handed over to Special Cell of the Delhi Police that is investigating the matter.

Earlier in the day, a case was registered against the two intruders and their accomplices under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Offences punishable under UAPA are non-bailable.  A local court placed them under seven-day police remand.

In a major move in Mathura’s Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute, the Allahabad High Court on  Dec 14  allowed a petition seeking court-monitored survey of the mosque. 

After threatening to send Indian soldiers packing, Maldives has now decided not to renew an agreement with India to conduct hydrographic surveys of its waters.

The Maldivian Undersecretary for Public Policy said  that the new government led by President Mohamad Muizzu has decided against renewing the hydrography agreement with India that is valid until June 7, 2024. The Maldives government has conveyed this to India.

India has so far refrained from making any comments on this.

India had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maldives on cooperation in the field of hydrography five years ago when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Male.

According to the terms, if one of the signatories wanted to drop the agreement, it had to inform the other country at least six months before it lapsed, else it would get renewed automatically for another five year period.

The Maldivian government, under President Muizzu, wants to do away with what it refers to as 'secret bilateral meetings' signed by the former administration that it feels would endanger the country's independence and sovereignty.

The official said President Muizzu made the decision after consulting his cabinet.

Maldives feels it is in their national interest to use their own army to conduct such surveys and protect sensitive information.

India had been conducting hydrographic surveys of Maldives' territorial waters since the signing of the MoU in 2019. This comprised studying and charting reefs, lagoons, coastlines and ocean currents.

Earlier, President Muizzu, just after being sworn in, had said that he wanted India to withdraw its soldiers from the country. There are 77 Indian soldiers in the Maldives involved in maintenance and operations of one helicopter and two Dornier aircraft. However, since this manpower is required for relief and humanitarian work, the soldiers haven’t returned yet.