Davos 2024 News Highlights: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on cryptocurrency

The live blog session has concluded. For more news, views and updates, stay tuned with Moneycontrol.com.

US Navy SEALs seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weaponry from a ship bound for Yemen's Houthi rebels in a raid last week that saw two of its commandos go missing, the US military said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a new ship came under suspected fire from the Houthis in the Red Sea and sustained some damage, though no one was wounded, officials said.

The raid marks the latest seizure by the US Navy and its allies of weapon shipments bound for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks now threatening global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The seized missile components included types likely used in those attacks.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das says, “One area which is on top on our agenda at the moment is dynamics of food inflation, which is subject to global supply chain issue and unexpected weather conditions. Food inflation can be very volatile, depending on some whether events.”

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said at Davos: “Cryptocurrencies have huge risk, particularly for emerging market economies because it can impact your financial stability, currency stability, and monetary system.”

“There is no underlying. It is not a currency, but it has the potential to become a currency in which event it can occupy the part of the payments system. It can impact your banking system and therefore it has very much risk involved in it.”

Shaktikanta Das, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said at Davos on January 16: “Cryptocurrency is highly speculative and country like India should be very careful.”

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said at Davos: “Despite uncertainties, Indian banking sector is one of the best in recent years and financial sector is also stable.”

One Army personnel lost his life and one sustained injuries after an Army vehicle met with an accident in Kassalian in the border area of Poonch in J&K, today

Fog is very likely to become more dense and likely to extend over remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab and some more parts of north Rajasthan and north Madhya Pradesh during the night, the India Meteorological Department said, as per news agency ANI.

Ratings agencies Fitch has affirmed BBB- rating for India, with the outlook stated as stable. "India is poised to remain one of fastest-growing countries globally in next few years," the ratings agency said.

It also added that beyond FY24 there is "less certainty on fiscal path and trade-offs between economic growth and consolidation may become more acute."

HSBC has filed contempt of court against the Government of India for not giving a refund of service tax granted by the Bombay High Court.

The Assam government will be conferring retired Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi with the state’s highest civilian award. The announcement comes six days before the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. On November 9, 2019, Gogoi delivered a unanimous verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi- Babri Masjid case.

“It is with great pleasure I share that the Government of Assam will confer Assam Baibhav, the State’s Highest Civilian award, to Hon’ble Member of Parliament and Former Chief Justice of India, Justice Shri Ranjan Gogoi Dangoriya.”

“Being the first judge from the North East to occupy the august office of Chief Justice of India, this award recognises his exceptional efforts to expand the delivery of justice and enrich our jurisprudence,” the Assam chief minister said.

"There are Ram temples with a history of thousands of years. But the BJP is building temples for elections. BJP is cheating people... I had gone to Ayodhya when the Babri Masjid was demolished. Later, they kept two dolls in a tent and called them Ram. Back home, when we go to a Ram temple, we feel a certain vibration. In Ayodhya, I felt nothing": Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna

India is taking a tough stand on non-tariff barriers being imposed on Indian exports by other countries and would also take similar measures on a reciprocal basis, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday.

He asked the industry to share a list of such measures so that India can flag them with the respective nations.

Many of India's exports suffer due to such barriers which include cumbersome prior registration requirements, higher pesticide levels, and unreasonable domestic standards/rules in many countries.

Kerala has been ranked as one of the three best performing states in the Startup Ranking 2022 released by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced this in New Delhi on Tuesday, while revealing the entire list of rankings on the occasion of National Startup Day, an official statement said.

On BSP Chief Mayawati stating that her party will fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections solo, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav says, "... We wanted to make her the Prime Minister of India... Maybe she made these statements under pressure."

Preparations are in full swing for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, scheduled to be held on January 22.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 16 said, “In the past 10 years, we made several reforms to the tax system, the tax system which existed earlier was not easily understandable to the common people. Due to a lack of guidance, honest taxpayers and businessmen were affected. In the form of GST, we introduced a modern tax system. The govt also made the income tax system easy by starting faceless tax assessment system in the country. Because of all these reforms, record tax collection happening in the country now.”

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal urges domestic stakeholders to not come to the government with suggestions of subsidies. We need to move away from the mindset of subsidies, he says. Goyal was speaking at the Closing Session of the Board of Trade meeting at Bharat Mandapam.

On AAP's 'Sunderkand' and 'Hanuman Chalisa Paath', Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi says, "...Arvind Kejriwal is the same person who once said Ram temple should not be built, this is Babri Masjid. I would like to remind them, that since 1858, more than 5 lakh people have lost their lives to reclaim the temple and get it reconstructed... Those who opposed the construction of Ram temple, today are organising 'Sunderkand Paath'... They can see the whole country is soaked in spiritual fervour, so they have tried to soak themselves in the colours of Lord Ram. If it were Babri's turn, they would have been dancing to the tunes of Babar..."

Arvind Kejriwal said earlier that 'Sunderkand Path' will be organised on the first Tuesday of every month in Delhi. “This will help in development, peace and prosperity and we will get the blessings of Lord Ram and Hanuman,” the CM said.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on January 16 announced the initiation of work on the Trade Connect ePlatform.

The intermediary platform that will provide the facility to connect Indian exporters and entrepreneurs with various stakeholders in international trade, will likely be ready in three to four months.

Chairing the second meeting of the reconstituted Board of Trade, Goyal said that the ePlatform is expected to provide facilitation for new and aspiring exporters information on various regulations to access markets, sectors, export trends, easy access of benefits under Free Trade Agreements, access to sector-specific events along with a facility to address trade related queries to officials in Government of India and associated entities to get expert advice.

Srinivasan Vaidyanathan, Chief Financial Officer, HDFC Bank, said on January 16, “The Financial year 2024-25 is an important year for growth.”

The CFO of the bank which released its Q3 earnings result today, recording a 33.5 percent jump in net profit year on year, said: “On the asset quality, our book is performing well. Going ahead, the credit environment seems to be good for growth.”

Congress appoints Tika Ram Jully as CLP leader in Rajasthan Assembly; Govind Singh Dotasra to continue as PCC chief

The Reserve Bank of India has released the report of the Working Group on State Government Guarantees. The Working Group, which comprises officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, and some state governments, has recommended that the word ‘guarantee’ should include all instruments which create an obligation, contingent or otherwise, for state governments. Further, the purpose for which state government guarantees are issued should be clearly defined and a ceiling for incremental guarantees issued every year should be fixed at 5 percent of revenue receipts or 0.5 percent of Gross State Domestic Product, whichever is less.

PM Modi says, "Nowadays the whole country is filled with 'Rammay'...Lord Ram is a symbol of governance and good governance in social life, which can become a great inspiration for your organization also"

My 11-day fasting ritual is going on ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. In such an auspicious period, I am blessed to be here and blessed by God. Lord Ram is an example of good governance in social life and he can be an inspiration for your institution," says PM Modi while addressing the inaugural ceremony of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics in Palasamudram, Andhra Pradesh.

Two aircraft belonging to Korean Air Lines and Cathay Pacific Airways clipped wings at New Chitose Airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday amid wintry conditions, a Korean Air official said, Reuters reported.

No injuries were reported on either plane, Japanese media said. The Korean Air flight had 289 passengers and crew members on board, an airline official said.

On inaugurating Gen. Vipin Rawat Stadium, J&K LG Manoj Sinha says, "... General Bipin Rawat was a person sent by god, who won wars and people's hearts. He has been closely associated with Baramulla since his childhood... This stadium that is being dedicated to you in his name was not just a decision of the administration, but the people of Baramulla deeply wanted this stadium to be named after Gen. Bipin Rawat... When the mortal remains of General Rawat were kept in Delhi, many people from Baramulla visited Delhi to have a last glimpse of the great man, such was his personality..."

Today, on 16th January, 2024 around 3:17 PM, Namibian Cheetah Shaurya passed away...Cause of death can be ascertained after Post Mortem: Director Lion Project

On National Startup Day, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says, "Earlier, there were a limited number of startups, but now the number has gone up to more than a lakh. Especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, engineering graduates are showing their skills in innovation, and out of them, more than 100 startups have become unicorns... India has become a major centre of attraction in the Global startup ecosystem... "

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, "I will do a rally on January 22. It will begin from Kali Mandir, where I will visit to offer prayers to Maa Kaali. Following that, we will hold an interfaith rally from Hazra to Park Circus Maidan and hold a meeting there. We will cover mosques, temples, churches, and gurdwaras along the way. Everybody is welcome to join the rally. On the same day, my party members will hold a rally in every block, in every district at 3pm."

PM Modi visits the new state-of-the-art campus of the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) at Palasamudram, Sri Sathya Sai District, Andhra Pradesh.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates Air India Express flight services between Bengaluru to Gwalior.

He says, "...To make India a developed nation, we need to make strides in India's spiritual prowess in addition to its economic prowess... On one hand, the IT capital of the country is being connected to Gwalior, on the other hand, Gwalior is being connected to the political capital of the country, Delhi. Which in turn is being connected to Ayodhya... Connecting these powerful cities of the country has been made possible by Air India Express, for which I thank them from the bottom of my heart..."

Delhi's Patiala House Court grants interim bail to Supertech's RK Arora for 30 days on health grounds.

Ahead of the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony, 'Dona-Pattal' for community meals are being made using pollution free and natural methods.

Commandos of UP ATS deployed in different areas of the city ahead of the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony.

717 bulls have been untied at the end of 8 rounds in Madurai district Palamedu jallikattu competitions; So far 35 people have been injured; the injured are undergoing treatment at Madurai Rasasi Hospital, according to news reports.

Amid cold wave conditions, all schools in Patna till class 8 to remain closed till January 20.

On Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha Ceremony, VHP leader Vijay Shankar Tiwari says, "From today till January 21, the rituals will continue... The Pran Pratishtha will take place on January 22... The speciality of the 51-inch idol of Shri Ram Lalla is that on every 'Chaitra Shukla Naumi', sunray will fall on the forehead of Ram Lalla once a day..."

"Under PM Modi’s leadership, India's ascent to a $4 trillion economy is fueled by a robust growth rate of 7.2-7.3%. Our energy consumption is surging three times faster than the global average and 25% of the global energy demand growth in the next 20 years or so will come from India, as it powers ahead towards a Viksit Bharat," says Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at World Economic Forum 2024.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia tweets, "In view of the fog-induced disruptions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on mitigating passenger inconvenience were issued yesterday to all the airlines."

Delhi Police opposes bail plea of accused Neelam Azad, Delhi High Court reserves order. Pronouncement of order on January 18.

On deepfake issue, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar says, "With every benefit of innovation, there are challenges and harms too...Our policies, our rules and our outlook are of open, safe and accountable internet. It is our duty that every Indian experiences safety and trust on the internet... We will make rules and laws for it... On the Deepfake issue, we have notified an advisory. We will also notify new IT rules in the coming time..."

On new IT rules, MoS Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar says "We are going to issue new amended IT rules in the next seven to eight days." "We have had two rounds of Digital India dialogues with all of the intermediaries. We have drawn their attention to the current rules. We have drawn their attention to the consequences of non-compliance. We have issued an advisory and we have also said that if we are not satisfied with the compliance, we will notify newly amended rules that are much more specific to the issue of misinformation and deep fakes in particular..."

When asked about Nitish Kumar turning down the INDIA alliance convener post and if they suspect that Nitish Kumar might quit INDIA Alliance and join NDA in the days to come, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "Frankly speaking, media overplays these things...There is mutual respect and affection between the leaders of the INDIA formation...I am very confident that such small issues in INDIA alliance will be resolved and together we will contest against BJP and defeat them."

YS Sharmila Reddy appointed as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress with immediate effect. Outgoing president Gidigu Rudra Raju to be the Special Invitee to the Congress Working Committee.

Ram temple consecration is political event, BJP-RSS giving election flavour to it and that is why it's difficult to attend: Rahul Gandhi

Those who believe in religion don't use it for personal gains. I believe in Hinduism and i d'ont need to wear it on my sleeves: Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "I see the INDIA alliance placed very well in taking on the BJP in 2024. The Yatra is an ideological Yatra, it is designed to place certain issues on the table - frankly to place on the table huge amount of injustice that is taking place in this country..."

INDIA bloc is taking on BJP very well, will win 2024 LS polls: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

Injustice was done to Manipur as violence continued for long, PM did not care to visit the state: Rahul Gandhi

REC Limited issues inaugural Yen Denominated Green Bonds aggregating to 61.1 Billion Japanese Yen. This is the first Yen Green Bonds issuance by any Indian PSU and largest Yen-denominated issuance from India.

Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was brought to the state-run LNJP Hospital for consultation for orthopaedic issues earlier today, sources said. Sisodia is lodged in jail in connection with the excise policy case. "Sisodia was brought to LNJP today around 11 am. He had some orthopaedic issues for which he was brought there for treatment and consultation," said a source.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi holds a press conference during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

He says, "This is Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. Its goal is social justice, economic justice and political justice, about raising issues. We started from Manipur, there was a thought behind it as grave injustice has been done to Manipur. For the first time, violence went on for months in an Indian state and the PM & people of BJP didn't even visit it. We then went to Nagaland. PM had made a commitment to the people of Nagaland too. That commitment too was not met..."

WFI affiliated state units decide to send teams for Nationals to be conducted by National Federation and not for the one to be organised by ad-hoc panel: WFI President Sanjay Singh

Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust urges all Rambhakts across the globe "to express their thoughts and emotions about this historic event through a short video," asking them to post on all platforms with #ShriRamHomecoming, including their full name, location and a brief personal note.

-- Dense to Very Dense fog (visibility<50 meters) in night/morning hours very likely in isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh on 16th & 17th January, 2024.
-- Dense to Very Dense fog (visibility<50 meters) in night/morning hours very likely in some parts of Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi during 18th-20th January, 2024.
-- Dense to Very Dense fog (visibility<50 meters) in night/morning hours very likely in many parts of Punjab on 16th & 17th January, 2024.

Supreme Court allows an application of Hindu side's petitioners seeking direction for cleaning the entire area of ‘wazukhana’ of Gyanvapi mosque where the ‘Shivling’ was found, and maintaining hygienic condition.

Supreme Court delivers a split verdict in Chandrababu Naidu’s plea to quash FIR against him in skill development scam. Case to be placed before CJI for orders on further course of action now.

Justice Aniruddha Bose says prior approval for conducting probe under PC Act against TDP chief was needed, allows State to seek it.

On Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha, Nirmohi Akhara Mahant Dinendra Das says, "The place where Ram Lalla was there, belonged to Nirmohi Akhara and prayers were being offered there... Before the Supreme Court's order, aarti was being performed but the officials stopped us... But after the Supreme Court's decision, the whole property of Ram Lalla was regained. Our 'panch', all saints and Ram devotees all over the world are excited..."

Aviation Expert and Director of Belair, Michael Jain says, "People who are operating airlines, they are very experienced. They know that if there is fog and there is zero visibility then the situation will not change for 2-3 hours... They should inform that there would be a 3-hour delay... Information is critical and setting correct expectations is also important... I think they should give a full refund to the passengers because ultimately... If I have to reach a meeting and I am not able to attend because of the flight delay and the meeting is cancelled, then why would I go anymore? I should be allowed to get my money back..."

Delhi Jal Board tweets, "Due to flowmeter installation and maintenance work at Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant, water supply will be affected for 16 hours on 18.01.2024 from 10:00 am onwards. Water supply will not be available on 18.01.2024 (evening) and 19.01.2024 (morning) in following areas..."

A four-member delegation of senior leaders of the ruling party of South Africa, African National Congress are in Delhi today on the invitation of BJP. During their three-day visit, the delegates and BJP leaders will exchange information on ideology and functioning of respective parties. The delegation meets BJP National President JP Nadda.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweets, "Assam is experiencing its most prosperous era in modern history. 80 lakh people in the State have escaped poverty under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. We are currently on a rapid growth trajectory that will see Assam make a significant contribution to nation-building by emerging as one of the top 5 states in the country."

After a video of passengers eating on the tarmac at Mumbai Airport went viral on social media, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia held a meeting with all ministry officials at midnight yesterday. In the early hours of 16th January 2024, MoCA's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued show-cause notices to IndiGo and Mumbai Airport. In the case of both notices, MoCA has asked for replies by 16.1.2024. If replies are not received in the given time then enforcement action including financial penalty will be initiated.

Aviation Expert and Director of Belair, Michael Jain says, "In a natural case of fog, the airline cannot do anything. The airline is not responsible for the fog... The airline is not responsible for the delay... But what the airline is responsible for is the ease to the passengers... There are certain things that the airline can do which they are responsible for, to reduce frustration... But are they responsible for compensating for fog? I don't think so..."

Advocate Mehmood Pracha, representing the committee for Idgah Masjid Mathura, says, "Supreme Court today stayed the order of Allahabad High Court ordering a commission ordered on the basis of an application which was moved by the petitioners in this case...What is more important than staying the order is that the court made some very strong remarks about the petition application moved before the Allahabad High Court..."

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik will unveil the Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project on January 17.

Starting from January 5, a series of month-long activities has been planned to raise awareness about the Rs 943 crore Jagannath corridor project.

India's Sumit Nagal stun world number 27 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-4 6-2 7-6 to enter Australian Open second round for first time.

On Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "...Last year, we did a (Bharat Jodo) yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to bring the nation together, different cultures, different religions, different languages and we had a view that we should do a yatra from east to west..."

The Supreme Court on January 16 issued a stay on the criminal defamation proceedings that were pending in a Gujarat court against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member of Parliament Sanjay Singh, according to several media reports. The case pertains to Singh's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic degree.

A bench of justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta declined to entertain Singh's request to transfer the trial outside Gujarat but passed an order staying the criminal defamation proceedings against him.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches on January 16 at premises associated with former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi and others as part of a money laundering investigation connected to alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission, news agency PTI reported. The federal agency had previously conducted at least two rounds of raids last year in relation to this case linked to the central government programme.

The searches, conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), focused on locations associated with Joshi, who served as a former minister of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.

The Supreme Court on January 16 issued a stay on the Allahabad High Court's order that permitted a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura, news agency PTI reported.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta has stayed the implementation of the December 14, 2023, order by the Allahabad High Court that had agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee the survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque premises.

The Hindu side contends that the mosque exhibits signs suggesting its historical use as a Hindu temple. The apex court has noted certain legal issues surrounding the case and questioned the vague application made before the high court for the appointment of a court commissioner for the survey.

On the eve of the commencement of the consecration rituals for the Ayodhya temple, prominent Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh made a pilgrimage to the temple town to pay their respects to the existing Ram Lalla at the once-contested site. This visit was part of a pre-announced program aligned with the festivities of Makar Sankranti.

Notably, the group included a surprise addition in the form of Deepender Hooda, the party's Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana. The decision of the UP Congress to offer prayers in Ayodhya comes in the wake of the party central leadership opting to abstain from the consecration ceremony, deeming it to have transformed into an "RSS-BJP event."

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has reportedly informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that his statement in a money laundering case can be recorded at his secretariat on January 20, news agency PTI reported citing sources.

The ED had sent him a letter, directing him to be available for questioning in the case between January 16 and January 20, after Soren skipped seven previous summons from the agency.

A representative from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) submitted Soren's response to the ED's letter, confirming his availability for statement recording on January 20, to the ED's office in Ranchi.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra" resumed on the third day from Kohima in Nagaland in the early hours of January 16. This political initiative is designed to connect with the people and bring attention to the issues that concern them.

The yatra had previously completed its path in Manipur after starting from Sekmai on January 15. Rahul Gandhi engaged with locals in Kohima, Nagaland, as the yatra continued its journey on the third day.

"The auspicious Prana Pratishtha yoga of the Deity of Bhagwan Shri Ram Lalla arrives on the approaching Paush Shukla Kurma Dwadashi, Vikram Samvat 2080, i.e., Monday, the 22nd of January 2024," Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra posted on X.

Adhering to all the Shastriya protocols, the Prana Pratistha programme is scheduled to take place in the Abhijeet Muhurta in the afternoon. The formal procedures for pre-Prana Pratistha sacraments will commence today, i.e., January 16, and will continue until January 21, 2024.

"The Dwadash Adhivas protocols will be as follows: 16th January: Prayaschita and Karmakuti Poojan, 17th January: Parisar Pravesh of the Murti, 18th January (Evening) Teerth Poojan, Jal Yatra, and Gandhadhivas, 19th January (Morning) Aushadhadhivas, Kesaradhivas, Ghritadhivas , 19th January (Evening): Dhanyadhivas, 20th January (Morning): Sharkaradhivas, Phaladhivas g. 20th January (Evening): Pushpadhivas h. 21st January (Morning): Madhyadhivas i. 21st January (Evening): Shaiyadhivas," the temple trust added.

Several flights to and from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) experienced delays on January 16 due to dense fog and low visibility. The airport authorities issued an advisory, urging passengers to contact their airlines for the latest information before travelling.

The flight operations at IGI were significantly impacted, partly due to the unavailability of CAT III-compliant runways. Currently, the airport only has one CAT III-equipped runway for operations in low visibility, as Runway 28/10 has been closed for scheduled re-carpeting since mid-September.

A Nihang Sikh is reported to have allegedly killed a young man at Gurudwara Shri Choura Khooh Sahib in Phagwara, Punjab, over suspicions of sacrilege, several media reports mentioned, citing police statements on January 16.

Senior officials from the Punjab Police have arrived at the scene, and a thorough investigation is currently underway, according to Phagwara SP Gurpreet Singh. In response to the incident, a significant police presence has been deployed at the gurudwara.

Following a lacklustre performance in the Iowa caucuses, the inaugural contest of the 2024 Republican presidential race, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy declared on January 15 that he is withdrawing from the campaign, Reuters reported. This decision reflects the challenges and competitive dynamics within the Republican field as candidates vie for support in the early stages of the presidential race.

Ramaswamy, 38, has decided to back his former competitor, ex-President Donald Trump, after ending his own presidential campaign. Ramaswamy had previously praised Trump, referring to him as the "best president of the 21st century."