Fri Dec 13 01:28:22 UTC 2024: ## Gukesh Crowned Youngest Chess Champion; Other India News Highlights

**Singapore, December 13, 2024** – Eighteen-year-old Indian chess prodigy D. Gukesh has become the youngest-ever world chess champion, defeating Ding Liren of China in the final game of the FIDE World Chess Championship in Singapore. Gukesh breaks a record held by Garry Kasparov for nearly four decades.

**National News:**

* **Gaza Ceasefire:** India voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, alongside the release of all hostages.
* **Hospital Fire Tragedy:** A devastating fire at a private hospital in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, claimed six lives, including a child and two women. Five victims were trapped in a lift.
* **Supreme Court Scrutiny:** The Supreme Court questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s inaction on ensuring schools uphold constitutional principles of equality, fraternity, and secularism, following a case of communal abuse against a Muslim student.
* **Disease X Concerns:** A recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with over 400 deaths, raises concerns about the potential emergence of “Disease X,” a hypothetical unknown pathogen highlighted by the WHO.
* **Constitutional Debate:** The Lok Sabha will commence a two-day debate on the Constitution’s 75th anniversary, with Prime Minister Modi scheduled to respond. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is expected to deliver her maiden Lok Sabha speech.
* **Coca-Cola Case:** The Bombay High Court refused to quash criminal proceedings against Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages for selling adulterated beverages in 2001.
* **Fumes Affect Students:** Over 50 students in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, suffered eye irritation from fumes allegedly released by a nearby power plant; JSW denies responsibility.
* **Bengaluru Forest Encroachment:** Significant encroachment on Bengaluru’s forest land is threatening the city’s ecology and water resources.
* **Sri Lanka Seeks End to Bottom Trawling:** Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister calls for India to cease bottom trawling in the Palk Bay to resolve long-standing fisheries disputes.

This news brief provides a snapshot of significant events reported in The Hindu on December 13, 2024.

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