A year of challenges change & characters
NEW DELHI: As the national capital bids adieu to 2024, it’s been a year marked by significant developments in politics, infrastructure, education, and law and order. The AAP saw many of its top leaders getting out of jail in liquor policy case.
However, it faced a few debacles, too. None of its candidates could win a Lok Sabha seat, and Arvind Kejriwal had to leave CM chair after a Supreme Court judgment barred him from entering office or signing files.
Consequently, Atishi became CM. Delhi will go to polls in February next year and the political landscape got heated up with defections, accusations and counter-accusations.
On the infrastructure front, the city witnessed major upgrades, including the expansion of the metro network, inauguration of new flyovers, and renovation of key roads. However, the city’s perennial problems of traffic congestion and pollution persisted, despite efforts to promote public transport and green initiatives.
The capital’s rising crime graph remained a cause of concern, with incidents of gun-violence, bomb threats and crime against women making headlines. Delhi Police faced scrutiny over its handling of high-profile cases, prompting calls for reforms and improved accountability. As Delhi looks to the future in 2025, addressing these challenges will be crucial to ensuring a safer, more sustainable, and equitable city for all. It is perhaps time that all stakeholders work together in New Year.
Highest single-day rain in December since 1923
41.2 mm of rainfall in 24 hours on Dec 28 marks the highest single-day December rainfall in 101 years since 1923 and the second highest in recorded history since 1901
Fifth-highest monthly rainfall in December, with a total precipitation of 42.8 mm
Highest December rainfall in 1923 at 77.2 mm
Chief minister
Youngest CM, and a Rhodes scholar
In a year in which many AAP leaders, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have been in and out of jail, Atishi was among the few senior leaders who remained outside and looked after party and governmental affairs.
She, along with Sanjay Singh and others, campaigned for AAP during the Lok Sabha elections in June. Her efforts finally bore fruit when the 43-year-old, who was already holding multiple posts, including education and finance, was entrusted with the CM post. To elect her to the top job, a meeting of AAP MLAs was held on September 21. She was sworn in as the CM on September 21, making her the youngest CM to lead the Delhi government.
Money laundering
Jail in, jail out
The now-scrapped excise policy proved to be a quagmire for senior AAP leaders, sucking them into jail one after the other. First, Manish Sisodia went inside, then Sanjay Singh. The then CM, Arvind Kejriwal, had to go to Tihar Jail, too, in March 2024, becoming the first sitting CM in India to be arrested. However, all of them have received bail now, starting with Singh. Sisodia was next to follow, securing bail from the SC, which said prolonged incarceration “violated his right to a speedy trial”. Finally, Kejriwal obtained bail in the two cases related to the alleged excise scam. Satyendar Jain, who was arrested in 2022 in a money laundering case, also got bail this year.
Politics
‘Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram’
The national capital, where assembly elections are due in February 2025, is going to see a triangular contest between AAP, BJP and Congress. So, as expected, many leaders have jumped their ships to sail in new ones ahead of the polls. Asim Ahmad Khan, Devendra Sehrawat, Raaj Kumar Anand and others have left AAP for either BJP or Congress. Similarly, BB Tyagi and Anil Jha were among the ones who left the saffron party for Kejriwal’s party. But, no defector made as big news as Kailash Gahlot. The Jat leader was the Transport Minister in AAP’s Delhi government before he quit the party on November 17 for BJP. A prominent face in Delhi’s political landscape, it was a major setback for the AAP.
Education
A good year for higher edu institutes
IIT Delhi made a significant leap in the 2025 QS Rankings, jumping 255 places to secure the 171st global position for sustainability. JNU and Jamia retained their second and third positions, respectively, in the NIRF 2024 rankings, while DU entered the top 10. In other developments this year, the Congress-backed NSUI staged a comeback in the DU polls, with Ronak Khatri becoming the new president of varsity’s students’ union. Additionally, Jamia appointed its 16th Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mazhar Asif. Meanwhile Education experts noted that 2024 was marked by the integration of AI, hybrid learning models, and a focus on student well-being and vocational training.
Infrastructure
DMRC, RRTS make headlines
The infrastructure saw remarkable progress in 2024, with significant achievements by DMRC and the RRTS corridor. DMRC integrated ticketing with the ‘One Delhi’ app and Amazon Pay, introduced international flight check-ins on the Airport Express Line, and launched SHERYDS, a women-driven bike taxi service. Milestones included Phase-IV construction advancements, such as the longest underground tunnel on the Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor and record-breaking passenger journeys.
Meanwhile, the 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor revolutionised regional transit, with the inauguration of the 42-km Sahibabad-Meerut South section earlier this year.
Law
HC tackles high-profile cases
Beyond money-laundering cases, involving high-profile leaders, the High Court tackeld several notable cases. The court’s intervention resulted in the forwarding of 14 CAG reports for the Lieutenant Governor’s approval. The court also took a hard stance against the “freebie culture,” emphasising the need for sustainable revenue generation for development projects. In a landmark public health ruling, the court mandated larger health warnings on pan masala packets, a decision lauded for prioritising public welfare over commercial interests.
As 2025 approaches, the Court is set to tackle a host of critical cases, including a plea concerning Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship.
Civic body
MCD, the synonym of deadlock
The departing year saw the MCD stumble from one controversy to the next. The administrative tug-of-war between the ruling AAP and the L-G peaked, while the BJP exerted its might to win the decision-making of the House. First, an impasse broke out over holding Mayoral polls in April. Then in September, the MCD finally saw the long-awaited polls to elect its 12 ward committees. The BJP edged past, winning 7 of the 12 zones. Later in the month, the BJP clinched a majority in the MCD Standing Committee, its highest decision-making body. The AAP bounced back in November after its councillor Mahesh Khichi was elected the new Mayor of Delhi.
