From Mitchell Starc becoming the most expensive buy in IPL history to 49 Lok Sabha MPs being suspended today for disrupting house proceedings, read to know more about the latest trending news in our December 19 news roundup.

A total of 49 Lok Sabha MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, for their conduct in disrupting the house proceedings. This comes a day after as many as 78 opposition members were suspended from the parliament amid a chaotic winter session.

Star Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has overtaken compatriot Pat Cummins to become the most expensive buy in IPL history, at the IPL Auction 2024. It is noteworthy that Starc overtook Cummins within two hours.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has termed India 'the star performer' that contributes upwards of 16% to overall global growth. IMF has pointed out key economic reforms like infrastructure and digitization, among other sectors.

The share of agriculture in India's GDP has declined to 15% in FY2023, coming down from 35% in 1990-91. The rapid growth in the country's industrial and service sectors has been identified as the primary reason behind this move of focus from the farming sector.

In the midst of the Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 scare in neighbouring Kerala, Karnataka has also been put on alert as the government has made masks mandatory for people above the age of 60. The center has also warned all the states to be on their toes to nip any outbreak in the bud.

Bengaluru was the city in India that saw the highest rise in rental prices in the year 2023, according to two separate surveys. According to the data revealed, landlords in Bengaluru's prominent areas hiked the rent by up to 30%, more than any other city.

The world's largest meditation center, Swarved Mahamandir, was inaugurated in Varanasi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meditation center boasts the unparalleled capacity of sating up to 20,000 people at a time for meditation.

The Government of India is inviting people to share their ideas for the vision 'Viksit Bharat @2047'. The Viksit Bharat competition will also feature cash prizes of ₹5 lakh, ₹3 lakh, and ₹2 lakh, respectively, for the top three ideas.

Stay tuned for more updates from across the country and follow-ups on these stories.