1.India’s Deepavali (the festival of lights) was Wednesday inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, sparking celebrations to mark the earning of the coveted tag.

2.The Supreme Court Wednesday granted liberty to the Odisha government to move an application before the Orissa High Court’s Chief Justice requesting to assign cases, where proceedings for recovery of dues from defaulting mining lessees are stayed, to a dedicated bench for final disposal.

3.The Winter Session of the Assembly was adjourned sine die Tuesday, 18 days ahead of its scheduled conclusion December 31.

4.Public parks in the City, operated by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), will remain open throughout the day on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays), beginning December 13.

5.Dhenkanal Sadar tehsildar faced legal action Wednesday for allegedly defying a court order, resulting in officials sealing the official (government) vehicle used by him.

6.The state government constituted an all-party high-level committee for amicable resolution of the Mahanadi water dispute with neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

7.India’s Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal met US Deputy Trade Representative Rick Switzer to discuss bilateral trade and economic ties.

8.The proportion of women qualifying for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) has increased from 24 per cent in 2019 to 35 per cent in 2023, the government told in Lok Sabha.

9.DGCA will station its personnel at IndiGo’s headquarters as it steps up oversight on India’s largest airline, which continues to cancel dozens of flights despite saying operations have stabilised.

10.Over a billion individuals worldwide aged 15 and above had experienced sexual violence during childhood, while around 608 million females were exposed to intimate partner violence in 2023, according to estimates published in The Lancet journal.

11.Silver prices saw the steepest single-day surge in nearly two months and skyrocketed by Rs11,500 to scale a fresh peak of Rs1,92,000 per kg in the national capital Wednesday, amid robust domestic demand fuelled by global cues.

12.The Goa Police have suspended the passports of Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, the principal owners of Goa's Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub, where 25 people were killed in a devastating fire on December 6.

13.Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday said he is looking forward to serving India with his affordable internet service Starlink.

14.Google and the Government of Telangana announced the launch of the Google for Startups Hub at T-Hub in Hyderabad.

15.India produced a brave-heart performance, nullifying a two-goal deficit to beat Argentina 4-2 and clinch the bronze medal in the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup here Wednesday.