Author: Supriya Jena

Shyam Benegal, a legendary director of Indian movies, passed away at the age of 90 on Monday. He died at 6:38 PM at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai after struggling with kidney disease for several years. His daughter, Pia Benegal, shared that his condition had worsened recently.

Just nine days earlier, on his 90th birthday, many actors he had worked with came together to celebrate him, making it a special farewell to a man who had given them some of their best roles. He is survived by his wife, Nira Benegal, and his daughter.

Many people are paying tribute to Mr. Benegal. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness, saying his unique style of storytelling had changed Indian cinema forever. Political leaders, movie stars, and fans described him as a master of storytelling who inspired many. President Murmu praised his work in creating new types of films and helping many actors shine. He received many awards, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Bhushan.

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur remembered Benegal as someone who redirected Indian cinema with famous films like “Ankur” and “Manthan.” Actor Manoj Bajpayee said Benegal was a visionary talent who inspired many and redefined storytelling. Similarly, actors like Akshay Kumar and Kajol shared their sorrow and thanked him for his impactful cinema.

Chiranjeevi, a superstar and politician, expressed his sadness, calling Benegal one of the brightest talents in India. Many leaders from various states also shared their condolences, mourning the loss of this influential filmmaker. His passing leaves a big gap in the art of filmmaking in India, as he inspired countless people.

Shyam Benegal will be remembered for his amazing contributions to cinema and his ability to touch hearts with his stories. Rest in peace, Shyam Babu.

Ahead of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s trip to the United States, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with key American diplomats on Monday. They talked about important topics between the two countries and other global issues. Jaishankar will be in the U.S. from December 24-29, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During his visit, he will discuss these important matters with his American counterparts.

On the day before Jaishankar’s trip, Misri had meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary for Management Richard Verma at the State Department. India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was also there. Verma expressed excitement for the continued growth of U.S.-India relations, highlighting a foundation of trust, shared values, and overall prosperity.

Earlier that day, Verma had a gathering with Indian think tank experts and U.S. officials to discuss progress in trade, defense, cultural ties, and global cooperation.

Verma shared interesting facts about U.S.-India relations:
– Trade between the two countries has grown from USD 20 billion in 2000 to USD 195 billion in 2023, and it’s expected to pass the USD 200 billion mark in 2024.
– Defense trade has risen from zero to USD 24 billion in the same time.
– The number of Indian students studying in the U.S. has jumped from 54,664 in 2000 to over 330,000 in 2023.
– The Indian diaspora in the U.S. went from 1.9 million to over 5 million people.
– The Biden-Harris administration has hired a record 130 Indian Americans for senior roles.
– India is now the U.S.’s top partner for military exercises, and the U.S. sends the most money back to India.
– One out of every five ‘unicorns’ (startups valued at over $1 billion) in the U.S. has Indian founders or co-founders.

There are plans to open two new Indian consulates in Los Angeles and Boston, and the U.S. is also planning to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to speak with experts about the economy on Tuesday. This meeting comes just before his government’s first complete budget for its third term, expected to be shared on February 1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had presented the last budget for the year 2024 in July when Modi’s government won its third term.

This meeting is important because there are concerns about India’s slowing economy and reduced spending by people. The economy grew only 5.4% in the last quarter, which is the lowest growth in over two years. People are eager to see if the budget will include ideas to boost growth, encourage spending, and incentivize private businesses to invest.

The budget will also be monitored for any actions in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump, especially since he might impose new tariffs on countries like India. This situation has led many experts to lower their growth forecasts for India. For example, the Asian Development Bank has reduced its growth expectation for India in 2025 from 7% to 6.5%, and Goldman Sachs has revised its figure from 6.5% to 6.4%.

Despite a strong growth of 8.2% in 2024, high retail inflation means that the Reserve Bank of India is unlikely to lower interest rates to stimulate the economy. HDFC Bank noted that India’s future economic outlook is a mix of hope and uncertainty, with macroeconomic fundamentals appearing strong but facing unpredictable global challenges.

Sitharaman has already talked to key players, including economists and business groups, about the budget. While the upcoming budget will be a main focus of Modi’s meeting with economists, long-term strategies needed to make India a developed nation as per the Prime Minister’s vision might also be discussed

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a big investment of Rs 2,723 crore to improve roads in the new capital, Amaravati. Municipal Minister P Narayana shared this news at a press conference and explained that this money will be used to build roads in specific areas, known as zones 7 and 10. So far, a total of Rs 47,288 crore has been approved for various projects in Amaravati.

Narayana mentioned that more approvals for other projects will happen this month. He also emphasized that the government will not make the people of Andhra Pradesh pay for the costs of building this new city. Instead, they plan to pay back the loans by selling the land that farmers contributed for Amaravati