FirstUp: Fadnavis to take oath as Maharashtra CM and the other big news today

Thursday, December 5, is set to be a day filled with key events.

Devendra Fadnavis will take oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Elon Musk is scheduled to meet Republican lawmakers to discuss budget cuts among other pressing matters.

The Supreme Court will review Delhi’s pollution levels and decide on whether to relax GRAP IV measures.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will launch the European Space Agency’s Proba-3 mission aboard the PSLV-C59 rocket.

In Jharkhand, the council of ministers in Hemant Soren’s government will take their oaths.

Sri Lanka’s interim budget will also be presented today.

Let’s take a look at these events:

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Devendra Fadnavis to take oath, PM Modi to attend

Devendra Fadnavis will take oath as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister for a third term today. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled at 5:30 pm in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

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On Wednesday, Fadnavis, along with Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, met Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the government. This comes after the Mahayuti alliance’s landslide victory in the Maharashtra assembly elections, securing 230 out of 288 seats.

Elon Musk, Republican lawmakers to discuss potential budget cuts

Appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk is set to meet Republican lawmakers today to discuss potential budget cuts in federal government spending. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will also be part of these discussions.

Republican US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X that Musk and Ramaswamy would “discuss major reform ideas to achieve regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings.”

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Will GRAP IV measures be relaxed in Delhi?

The Supreme Court will review the implementation of Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi today. During the last hearing, the court expressed concern over the insufficient enforcement of GRAP IV measures, which are initiated when air quality hits hazardous levels.

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Refusing to relax the restrictions earlier, the court noted a lack of urgency despite the poor air quality. With Delhi’s air quality improving on Wednesday, recording an Air Quality Index of 211 in the ‘moderate’ range, the court will now assess whether conditions allow easing of GRAP IV measures.

Proba-3 spacecraft set for launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is scheduled to launch the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission aboard its PSLV-C59 rocket today after it was delayed on Wednesday due to an anomaly detected in the spacecraft.

Proba-3 is the world’s first precision formation flying mission and aims to study the Sun’s corona, the outermost and hottest part of the Sun’s atmosphere.

Jharkhand cabinet to take oath

The council of ministers in Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand government will take oath today, party sources told PTI.

Hemant Soren took oath as Jharkhand’s 14th Chief Minister on November 28. Notably, the INDIA bloc secured 56 seats in the 81-member assembly while the BJP-led NDA won 24 seats. The first cabinet meeting has decided to meet for an assembly session from December 9 to 12.

Sri Lanka’s interim budget today

Sri Lanka’s interim budget will be presented today, while the full 2025 budget is scheduled for February 5. The interim budget will seek parliamentary approval on Friday.

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The National Peoples Power (NPP) coalition, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, secured a landslide victory with 159 seats in the 225-member assembly. The government’s primary focus would be to address Sri Lanka’s debt crisis and help the seven million citizens who fell below the poverty line during the economic crisis.

With inputs from agencies