Today in History (October 11th, 1962)
On October 11, 1962, the Second Vatican Council, which had been announced by Pope John XXIII in 1959, officially opened. The council lasted for three years and remains a significant, though sometimes controversial, symbol of the Catholic Church’s willingness to adapt to modern life.
Summary of Today’s News
Omar to be J&K CM as NC legislators give thumbs up.
Omar Abdullah, vice-president of the National Conference (NC), has been unanimously chosen as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, with Congress’s support. The NC now holds 42 seats in the 90-member Assembly, along with support from four Independent legislators, the CPI(M)’s single MLA, and six Congress members. Government formation is expected within two days. The BJP, which won 29 seats, dominated the Jammu plains, but NC has assured representation for Jammu leaders in the new government.
India bids farewell to Tata.
Thousands of mourners, including senior politicians, industrialists, celebrities, and Tata employees, bid farewell to Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, in Mumbai. Tata, who passed away at the age of 86 years was cremated with full state honours. Union Ministers Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, opposition leaders, and industrialists like Mukesh Ambani attended the ceremony. His coffin, draped in the Indian flag, received a ceremonial Guard of Honour. Maharashtra and Jharkhand declared a day of official mourning in his memory.
Delhi govt. hikes funds for MLAs to ₹15 crore months before Assembly election.
The Delhi Cabinet approved increasing the MLA Local Area Development (MLALAD) fund from ₹10 crore to ₹15 crore, pending Lieutenant-Governor V.K. Saxena’s approval. Chief Minister Atishi emphasized the fund’s importance for development, noting it’s the highest MLA fund in the country. The BJP criticized the move, fearing misuse of funds and calling for audits. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva warned of possible financial strain. Atishi defended the decision and addressed controversy over her government accommodation.
S. Korea’s Han Kang wins Nobel Prize in literature.
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to South Korean writer Han Kang for her “intense poetic prose” that addresses historical traumas and the fragility of human life. Notably the first Korean laureate, Han’s international acclaim began with her novel “The Vegetarian,” which won the Man Booker International Prize. Her upcoming book, “We Do Not Part,” explores a 1940s massacre’s impact on the present. The Swedish Academy praised her ability to transform trauma into art and “speak the truth.”
