On 28 December, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and twice Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Sunderlal Patwa breathed his last at a private hospital in Bhopal. He was 92.

Patwa had served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for a brief period of two months in 1980, and for a period of two years from 1990-1992. He was also considered Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan's political mentor.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1997 after a by-poll, but lost in the 1998 general elections.

In 1999, Patwa was elected to the Lok Sabha and became a minister in the NDA government from 1999 to 2001.

Disapproving the Indian Olympic Association's decision to name Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Chautala as lifetime presidents, former sports minister Ajay Maken, on 28 December, said this is not good for sports as well as India's image and asked incumbent Vijay Goel to initiate action to end this mess.

"The decision of IOA of making them life time presidents is not good for sports and for India's image. I don't understand as to what kind of message they want to portray by making them the life time presidents," Maken told the media.

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"When we talk about sports and emotions related to sports, it should be very pure. If they want to clean this mess then they have to rise above politics and do it," he added.

The Congress leader further said the countdown of bad days for Indian sports has begun post this irrational decision.

Suspended All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP Sasikala Pushpa's lawyer was on Wednesday attacked by the party cadres.

The incident took place when four lawyers of Pushpa's team had gone to the AIADMK headquarters to submit a letter.

Pushpa who filed a petition in Supreme Court, demanding a probe into the death of J. Jayalalithaa, had earlier said that proper inquiry should be done as the people of the state want to know the actual reason behind the death of the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

In a bid to promote digital transactions, the Delhi government has directed all employers and contractors in the city to pay wages to their workers either electronically or through cheques. The Labour Department of the Delhi government has issued an advisory asking all contractors and employers to adopt these mode of payment to disburse wages to their workers.

"All employers and contractors have been asked to pay wages to their workers either electronically or through cheque," said a senior government official. "Digital payments are being adopted and promoted as these are less time consuming, transparent, inexpensive, user-friendly and convenient. It is our collective endeavour to promote digital payments," the advisory stated.