Category: India

India ranked 96 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024 as its overall score dropped a point to 38, according to a Transparency International report released on Tuesday.

The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people, uses a scale of zero to 100, where “zero” is highly corrupt and “100” is very clean.

In 2024, India’s overall score was 38 while it was 39 in 2023 and 40 in 2022. India’s rank in 2023 was 93.

Among India’s neighbours, Pakistan (135) and Sri Lanka (121) grappled with their respective low rankings, while Bangladesh’s ranking stood further down at 149. China ranked 76.

Denmark topped the list of being the least-corrupt nation, followed by Finland and Singapore.

The 2024 CPI showed that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but a change for the better is happening in many countries.

Research has also revealed that corruption is a major threat to climate action. It hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global heating.

While 32 countries have significantly reduced their corruption levels since 2012, there is still a huge amount of work to be done as 148 countries have stayed stagnant or gotten worse during the same period.

The global average of 43 has also stood still for years, while more than two-thirds of countries have scored below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights.

“Huge numbers of people around the world suffer severe consequences of global heating, as funds intended to help countries cut greenhouse gas emissions and protect vulnerable populations are stolen or misused. At the same time, corruption in the form of undue influence obstructs policies aimed at addressing the climate crisis and leads to environmental damage,” the report said.

Protecting climate mitigation and adaptation efforts from corruption will make these life-saving activities more effective and, in turn, benefit people in need, it added.

Many countries with high CPI scores have the resources and power to drive corruption-resistant climate action around the world but instead, they often serve the interests of fossil-fuel companies, the report said.

“Some of these countries are also home to financial hubs that attract illicit funds stemming from corruption, environmental destruction and other crime. While the CPI does not measure this, dirty money poses a major corruption problem with harmful effects that reach far beyond these countries’ borders,” it said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-ranks-96-out-of-180-countries-in-corruption-perceptions-index-2024-3403466

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms are dangerous tools irrespective of who possesses them and it is immaterial whether such tools are in American or Chinese hands.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela made the observation while asking a counsel representing the Union government to seek instructions to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to block access of Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek.

The Bench passed the order after the counsel for Union of India said the matter requires consideration.

“AI is a dangerous tool in anybody’s hands, whether it is Chinese or American; doesn’t make a difference. It is not that government is unaware of these things, they are very well aware…,” Justice Gedela remarked

The PIL against DeepSeek alleged that concerns have been raised with regard to privacy and security of the platform since its launch.

The petitioner also sought directions to create awareness about privacy and security concerns surrounding DeepSeek. It further sought directions to frame guidelines to block access to such AI tools.

The Court at the outset asked about the statutory mechanism for blocking such websites.

The counsel representing the Union government submitted that the issue is under consideration. The Court then said it would dispose of the petition.

However, since the counsel could not clarify whether the matter is already under consideration or is going to be considered by the government, the Court adjourned the matter to enable the government counsel to obtain complete instructions.

When the counsel representing the petitioner said that the issue pertains to a direct infringement of the right to privacy, Justice Gedela said,

“You are in dark web 97%. What are you saying? You are next generation youngsters. You know more about it than us. You think this data, any data is safe? Are you aware of dark web. Are you aware that 97% of the iceberg is tilted around. Are you aware of that? So therefore they are saying consideration … we are giving them an opportunity, please wait.”

The Court then listed the matter for hearing on February 20.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/ai-dangerous-tool-whether-in-chinese-american-hands-delhi-high-court-pil-deepseek

A ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army was reported along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district Wednesday evening. According to initial reports, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing, prompting the Indian Army to give a befitting response. There have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage on the Indian side.
The ceasefire violation comes about a month after Pakistan politician Anwaar ul-Haq called for a jihad against India. He announced that his government would mobilise all available resources to expel Indian forces from Jammu and Kashmir.
His remarks drew widespread condemnation, with critics decrying them as a serious threat to the prospect of peace between the two nations. Haq made this statement during a rally on January 5 in Muzaffarabad, marking Right to Self-Determination Day, which was further amplified by chants of “Al-Jihad, Al-Jihad,” signaling a significant escalation in Pakistan’s political discourse.

Jihad refers to Muslims’ efforts to follow the teachings of Islam, as well as to fight in defence of the religion or against perceived enemies of Islam.

India has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country, and any attempts to disrupt peace in the region will be met with firm resolve.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pakistani-army-violates-ceasefire-along-poonch-loc-indian-army-retaliates-article-118181223

An 18-year-old Class 12 student allegedly died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur after an unsuccessful attempt in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2025.

The incident took place on Wednesday afternoon, a day after the results of the JEE Mains, which is a competitive exam for admission into the engineering colleges, were declared on Tuesday.

The student was identified as Aditi Mishra who hailed from Mishraulia village in the Sant Kabir Nagar district and studied at a private coaching institute in Gorakhpur.

Student’s Suicide Note For Parents

She left a heartbreaking note to her parents, apologising for the low marks in the exam and for her inability to “fulfill” their dreams, India Today reported.

“Sorry, mummy and papa. Please forgive me. I couldn’t make it. Our journey together ends here. Don’t cry. You both gave me immense love. I couldn’t fulfill your dreams. You guys please take care of Choti. She will definitely fulfill your dreams. Your beloved daughter – Aditi,” the suicide note read.

She was a student at Momentum Coaching Center in the city and was “devastated” due to her low score in the exam. She took the extreme step and hanged herself after she was unable to cope with her disappointment.

What Did The Family Say?

The student had returned to the hostel just two days ago and used to share a room with another girl at the Satyadeep Girls Hostel, according to reports.

She also spoke to her father on Wednesday and got her mobile number recharged. During her conversation with him, she asked him not to tell anybody about her results.

Remembering their last conversation, the father said that he had encouraged her to prepare for the next attempt and had never imagined that she would take the extreme step, India Today reported.

She took the step when her roommate had gone outside.

The incident came to the fore when her fellow students informed the hostel warden that the doors of her room were not unlocked for a long time on Wednesday.

The hostel authorities informed the police and opened the door with their help. They found the student hanging from a noose made out of a stole. The police also found a suicide note in the room.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/sorry-couldnt-fulfill-your-dreams-jee-aspirant-dies-by-suicide-up-gorakhpur-note-to-parents-after-failed-attempt-9225586.html

The BJP’s ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that has expanded significantly in the last two decades is moving back to its old address in Delhi as its rebuilding project is nearly done. Some interior work is still going on.

Spread over 3.75 acres, the RSS office houses three 12-storey towers and some 300 rooms. The new office will be used to hold RSS events and provide lodging to RSS workers and leaders.

Ancient and modern techniques have been used in the construction that began in 2018. The main auditorium honours the memory of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal, who was one of the main proponents of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The three towers – ground floor plus 12 floors – are named Sadhna, Prerna and Archna. The name of the building will remain Keshav Kunj.

The building has a massive solar power facility; its library has 8,500 books and is open to researchers. There’s also a clinic with a five-bed hospital in the building complex. The new complex cost Rs 150 crore to build, and at least 75,000 donors have contributed to making it.

The construction took over eight years during which the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and delayed work.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale will attend a “karyakarta sammelan” of the organisation’s Delhi unit on February 19 to mark the beginning of its work from the new building in Delhi’s Jhandewalan.

The Nagpur-headquartered organisation will organise its annual ‘Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha’, considered the RSS’ top decision-making body, in Bengaluru from March 21 to March 23.

Some 1,500 people including senior functionaries of the RSS and affiliated organisations will meet to discuss key issues, including organisational matters. Resolutions will be passed to outline the RSS’ positions on a host of matters.

The RSS had been using a rented place as its office since 2016, following the beginning of the rebuilding and renovation exercise at the place, out of which it had been working since 1962.

The revamped building – a vast change from the earlier two-storey building – fuses modern technology with ancient architectural practices to make it airy and exposed to ample sunlight. Gujarat-based architect Anup Dave designed it.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/at-rss-12-storey-revamped-office-in-delhi-300-rooms-library-and-clinic-7695502

Congress’s Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by a court in Lucknow in connection with his alleged derogatory remarks against the Indian Army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Mr Gandhi will have to appear before the Lucknow MP MLA court — a special court that can try cases against MPs and MLAs — in the last week of March.

Former director of Border Road Organization or BRO Uday Shankar Srivastava had filed the complaint against Mr Gandhi on basis of which the defamation case was registered.

Mr Gandhi had apparently made the remarks on the Indian Army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in December 2022.

The comment that “Chinese soldiers are beating up Indian Army personnel in Arunachal Pradesh” – a dig at the government over Chinese action at the Line of Actual Control — drew sharp criticism from many quarters and led to a massive political row.

Many BJP leaders had declared that Mr Gandhi as anti-national, accused his family of receiving Chinese hospitality and funds in the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

It did not deter Mr Gandhi who continued to target the government over the China issue.

In March 2023, Mr Gandhi was barred from attending for a while after he was found guilty in a defamation case for a remark targetting Prime Minister M Narendra Modi over his last name. The Gujarat court which was hearing the case, sentenced him to a two-year jail term.

Though the sentence was suspended, the duration was exactly what was needed to bar leaders from parliament, the Opposition pointed out, calling it a conspiracy against the Congress leader.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-summoned-by-court-for-alleged-remarks-against-indian-army-7688484

A video from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur has sparked outrage after it allegedly showed water from a toilet tap being used for cooking during a national medical conference last week.

A national-level medical conference, attended by doctors and medical experts from across the country, was held at the medical college on February 6. During the event, food was arranged for participants. However, a viral video now circulating on social media appears to show water being filled from a toilet tap and then being used for cooking.

Amid the uproar, the medical college’s administration has issued a clarification. The college’s dean, Navneet Saxena said that the water was only being used to clean dirty utensils and not for cooking. He claimed that the context of the video was being misrepresented.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/jabalpur-madhya-pradesh-water-from-toilet-tap-used-for-cooking-at-medical-college-video-sparks-outrage-7688679

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the French city of Marseille on Wednesday, where he said freedom fighter VD “Veer” Savarkar attempted a “courageous escape”. This will be the last day of his three-day visit to France, where he will inaugurate the second Indian consulate in the country after the Embassy in Paris. After he concludes the French tour, he will embark on a US visit on February 13. He was welcomed in Paris On February 10 by a encouraging turnout of the Indian community.

What’s On The Agenda Today?

On the last day of his three-day France visit, on the agenda are programmes to deepen India-French ties, like the opening of India’s second consulate in the country and a ceremony to pay homage to soldiers who died in First and Second World Wars at the Mazargues War Cemetery. Further, Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will also take a tour of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, an international nuclear fusion collaboration.

India’s France Connection During British Colonial Rule

PM Modi thanked the people of Marseille and French activists for their role on the Indian freedom struggle, when they “demanded that he not be handed over to British custody”.

During the British rule, Savarkar had tried to escape from British ship Morea in July 1910 while being taken to India for trial. He escape from the ship’s porthole, swam ashore and was returned to the British authorities by the French authorities who caught him. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment at Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

What Happened On Tuesday?

PM Modi and Mr Macron addressed the AI Action Summit and the 14th India-France CEOs Forum in Paris. Speaking at the event, PM Modi said, “This is more than just a business event–it’s a convergence of the brightest minds from India and France. You are embracing the mantra of innovation, collaboration, and elevation, driving progress with purpose. Beyond forging boardroom connections, you are actively reinforcing the strategic partnership between India and France.”

He also underlined the deep trust and shared values between India and France, citing democratic values, innovation, and serving the people as the pillars of their friendship.

“India and France aren’t just connected by democratic values. Deep trust, innovation, and serving the people are the pillars of our friendship. Our relationship isn’t limited to just our two nations. Together, we’re providing solutions to global problems,” PM Modi added.

PM Modi also met US Vice President J D Vance and his Indian-origin wife along with their two young sons on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit. The Prime Minister was seen holding bilateral talks with Vance, while his wife Usha watched on.

Source : https://publish.twitter.com/?query=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fnarendramodi%2Fstatus%2F1889373282937585875&widget=Tweet 

Amid elaborate arrangements, over 73 lakh people took a dip at the Sangam till 6 am on Wednesday on the occasion of Maghi Purnima during the Maha Kumbh mela here.

The sacred bath began early Wednesday and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the event from Lucknow.

With the Maghi Purnima bath, the month-long Kalpavas will also end and around 10 lakh ‘Kalpvasis’ will start leaving the Maha Kumbh. The administration has requested them to follow traffic rules and use only authorised parking spaces.

While lakhs of devotees are headed to the Sangam Nose to take a dip, the Uttar Pradesh government in a statement said that by 6 am, 73.60 lakh people, including 10 lakh Kalpwasis, had taken the ritual dip at the Triveni Sangam and other ghats.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been monitoring the Maghi Purnima Snan since 4 am at the war room in his official residence in Lucknow, the statement said.

Director General of Police Prashant Kumar, Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Prasad and officials of Chief Minister Secretariat are also present at the war room, it said.

Kumbh SSP Rajesh Dwivedi said, “The movement of devotees is going on smoothly and we are taking care of all (crowd) pressure points.” “We have made elaborate arrangements during the previous ‘snan’ on Basant Panchami too. Our arrangements have been further augmented this time,” he said.

Talking about security arrangements in place for today’s snan, the SSP said, “More deployment has been done at all the pressure points. Along with that, we are briefing people to ensure a smooth movement.” Meanwhile, Adityanath greeted everyone on the holy bathing festival.

“Heartiest greetings to all the revered saints, religious leaders, Kalpvasis and devotees who have come for the holy bath at the sacred Triveni in Maha Kumbh-2025, Prayagraj. May everyone’s life be filled with happiness, prosperity and good fortune by the grace of Lord Shri Hari. May Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna and Maa Saraswati fulfill everyone’s wishes,” he said in the post.

According to officials, elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure that the devotees take the sacred bath without any hassle.

The fair area has been declared a ‘no vehicle zone’ from 4 am on Tuesday, while the entire city will become a no-vehicle zone from 5 pm onwards, with an exemption for emergency and essential services, they said.

To avoid traffic chaos, designated parking lots have been marked for public and private vehicles.

Prayagraj ADG Bhanu Bhaskar said special police forces have been deployed at all places where crowd management becomes challenging.

The special traffic plan will remain in force till the completion of the ritual to ensure safe evacuation of devotees from the fair area in case of any emergency.

Bhaskar said real time data is being collected from toll plazas and officials of neighbouring districts so that the number of vehicles coming and the routes can be monitored and regulated.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maha-kumbh-mela-2025-over-73-lakh-people-take-snan-at-sangam-on-maghi-purnima-7690751

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in France for AI Action Summit, answered one of the most frequently asked question: Can Technology and Artificial Intelligence replace humans from the job market?
In a clear cut answer, PM Modi said that humans can never be replaced and only the nature of jobs will change in the AI world. “History has shown that work doesn’t disappear due to technology, Its nature changes and new types of jobs are created,” PM Modi said during the address at the AI Action Summit. The prime minister further said that AI is writing the code for humanity in this century.
Co-Chairing the AI Action Summit along with French President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi said that AI is changing the polity, economy, security and society.

He asserted that investment needs to be done in skilling and re-skilling people for an AI-driven future. “Education, agriculture and so much more. It can help create a world in which the journey to sustainable energy goals is faster,” PM Modi added.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/is-technology-a-threat-to-your-job-pm-modi-answers-the-big-ai-question-in-paris-summit-article-118134214

A dramatic chase unfolded at a hospital in Bihar’s Siwan when a man with a criminal record opened fire at a security guard while attempting to flee, instead wounding a patient. The incident occurred at a time when a criminal identified as Saddam Hussain surrendered in court today, after which he was brought to the hospital for a medical checkup. The police suspect the man who fired at the guard might have come to kill Saddam Hussain, NDTV reported.
The guard had seen the shooter, Arbaaz Alam, entering the women’s washroom and tried to restrain him.
When the guard attempted to stop him, Alam resisted, prompting the guard to strike him with a baton. Alam then sprinted out of the hospital, pursued by the guard. Once outside, he fired multiple shots, missing the guard but hitting a patient, Alok Tiwari, a local resident. Tiwari is receiving treatment at the hospital and is in stable condition.

Other guards who were at the hospital gate joined in the chase, and together they managed to pin down the accused.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/gunfire-at-bihar-hospital-man-enters-womens-toilet-opens-fire-during-escape-article-118153851

PM Modi’s US Visit: India has prepared a list of gangsters hiding in the United States and wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and police. Official sources from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said New Delhi plans to share the list containing the names of dreaded gangsters Goldy Brar and Anmol Bishnoi with Washington during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the US this week, his first since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office.

Acting on a directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs, India’s leading security agencies compiled a list of gangsters residing in the United States.

Sources reveal that while central agencies already maintained a list of criminals fleeing abroad, a few weeks ago, they were tasked with specifically compiling a list of criminals based in the US, along with the status of their cases.

Anmol, the brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and accused mastermind behind the murder conspiracy of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, was arrested in the US in November after immigration authorities discovered he was traveling with fake documents. He has been in a US prison since then. Last month, a special court in Mumbai issued non-bailable warrants for Anmol and two other wanted suspects in connection with Siddique’s murder.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/india-list-share-gangsters-hiding-us-goldy-brar-anmol-bishnoi-mha-pm-modi-donald-trump-latest-news-9224156.html

The Court said that an arbitral tribunal can exercise jurisdiction over the husband in such cases under Bye-law 248(a) of the Bombay Stock Exchange2 Byelaws, 1957.
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a husband can be held jointly and severally liable for the debit balance in his wife’s stock trading account based on an oral agreement and the nature of their financial dealings [AC Choksi Share Broker Vs Jatin Pratap Desai].

A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Sandeep Mehta said that an arbitral tribunal can exercise jurisdiction over the husband in such cases under Bye-law 248(a) of the Bombay Stock Exchange2 Byelaws, 1957.

“Under Bye-law 248(a) (BSE), the arbitral tribunal could have exercised jurisdiction over respondent no. 1 (husband) on the basis of an oral contract that he would be jointly and severally liable for the transactions undertaken in respondent no. 2’s (wife) account. Such oral contract would not amount to a “private” transaction that falls outside the scope of arbitration,” the Court ruled.

The key issue in this appeal is whether the husband of a woman could be made a party to an arbitration initiated by the appellant, a registered stockbroker.

The dispute arose over a debit balance in the wife’s trading account, for which the arbitral tribunal held both respondents jointly and severally liable.

The respondents had opened separate trading accounts with the appellant-stock broker in 1999, but the appellant claimed they had agreed to operate them jointly and share liability for any losses.

By early 2001, the wife’s account had a significant debit balance (loss) while the husband had a credit balance. On oral instructions from the husband, the appellant transferred funds from his account to the wife’s account to offset the losses.

However, due to a stock market crash, the debit balance increased significantly, leading the appellant to seek recovery from both respondents through arbitration.

The husband contested the claim, arguing that he was wrongly included in the arbitration and that the transfer of funds was unauthorised under SEBI guidelines.

The arbitral tribunal ruled in favour of the broker, holding that both respondents were jointly and severally liable for the losses.

It relied on evidence suggesting that the husband was actively involved in the transactions and had agreed to cover the shortfall. The tribunal also dismissed the husband’s counterclaim, reasoning that the financial dealings between the respondents indicated shared liability. It acknowledged SEBI guidelines requiring written authorisation for fund transfers but justified its decision based on past dealings and the couple’s financial relationship.

When the respondents challenged this decision under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, a single-judge of the Bombay High Court dismissed their applications.

On appeal under Section 37, a Division Bench of the High Court overturned the tribunal’s ruling against the husband and held that the husband should not have been included in the arbitration.

The High Court reasoned that his alleged liability stemmed from a private understanding, separate from transactions conducted under the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) rules. It further held that oral agreements could not override official trading records and SEBI guidelines. As a result, it deemed the tribunal’s decision as lacking jurisdiction and containing errors in law.

The stock broker then approached the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court held that the arbitral tribunal had jurisdiction over the husband under BSE Bye-law 248(a), which covers disputes between brokers and clients. Oral agreement between the parties, which established joint and several liability, was deemed incidental to the transactions conducted on the stock exchange.

The Court emphasised that the husband’s involvement in managing both accounts and the financial dealings between the parties supported the tribunal’s jurisdiction.

“Once the arbitral tribunal arrived at a finding that respondent no. 1 is jointly and severally liable for the debit balance in respondent no. 2’s account, which we have upheld above, Bye-law 247A in fact permits the withdrawal of the credit balance from respondent no. 1’s account……Although the arbitral tribunal has held that written authorisation for such adjustment is required, we find nothing in Bye-law 247A or in the SEBI Guidelines, on which this Bye-law is based, that mandates the same,” the Court said.

The Court found that the arbitral tribunal’s conclusion on joint and several liability was based on evidence, including affidavits and the conduct of the parties. The tribunal’s finding that the husband had orally agreed to be jointly liable was reasonable and not perverse, the apex court said.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/husband-can-be-held-liable-for-wifes-stock-market-debt-based-on-oral-contract-supreme-court

February 14, Valentine’s Day, is the day of love, at least for some, if not for a lot around the world. The day has left a palpable impression on the larger social fabric of the world across borders and seas.

As of 2025, the V-Day is just 2 days away. And, one of the most platitudinous things about the day is the affectionate gifting of chocolates to one’s valentine.

Cocoa Beans Are Expensive

The cocoa bean, which leads to the making of this crucial element, that is ‘the chocolate’, was priced at USD 5,949 per metric tonne (ICE US Cocoa) in February 14, 2024. This has shot up significantly in the span of just about a year.

The price of cocoa as of February 12, just two days before Valentine’s day is pegged at USD 10,111 per metric tonne, according to the latest trends from Reuters.

This marks an increase of close to 70 per cent in the value of the raw material, that is used in the manufacturing of one of most consumed food items in the world in the period of a year.

This, however, is a relatively subdued rise, compared to the price of cocoa during Christmas of 2024, which was barely a couple of months ago. In December 2024, the price of this sweet (it is not sweet) gold had rocketed to Rs 12,565 per metric tonne.

Why Is It Happening?

This is happening due to a shortage in supply from the countries where cocoa is usually grown. Although American and European companies have a nearly monopoly in the confectionery market, Cocoa is largely grown West African nations. This includes Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon.

Why Does It Matter?

Now, what does this mean? Could the price of chocolates go up? Well, it is basic economics that needs to be applied here. When there is demand that cannot meet the supply, in this case cocoa, the natural happening is a rise in price, to saturate the demand.

As a result of this, the possibility of the prices being passed down to consumers cannot be dismissed. In addition, new measures including ‘shrinkflationary’, ie reduction in the quantity or quality of products, may also be deployed.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/valentines-day-2025-cocoa-prices-rise-nearly-70-since-february-14-2024-is-chocolate-in-a-pickle

Lucknow: Mahant Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, died at a hospital here on Wednesday.

The 85-year-old was admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) earlier this month after he suffered brain stroke.

“Satendra Das ji, chief Priest of Ram Mandir Ayodhya, breathed his last today. He was admitted in HDU (High Dependency Unit) of neurology ward on February 3 with stroke in critical condition,” the hospital said.

He served as the head priest of the temple since he was 20-years-old, including during the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

Das, who hailed from the Nirvani Akhara, was among the most accessible saints of Ayodhya and the go-to person for many mediapersons from across the country wanting information on Ayodhya and Ram temple developments.

He was barely nine months into his job as chief priest when the Babri mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992.

Post-demolition, Das continued to serve as the head priest when prayers were offered to the Ram Lalla idol under a makeshift tent.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/ayodhya-ram-temple-chief-priest-acharya-satyendra-das-breathes-his-last-3401682

Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Google CEO Sundar Pichai on the sidelines of the AI Action Summit in Paris where they discussed the “incredible opportunities” AI will bring to India.

The Indian-origin Alphabet Inc. CEO also discussed how Google and India can work together on the country’s “digital transformation”.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

“Delighted to meet with PM @narendramodi today while in Paris for the AI Action Summit. We discussed the incredible opportunities AI will bring to India and ways we can work closely together on India’s digital transformation,” Pichai posted on X along with pictures.

The last meeting between Modi and Pichai was in September 2024 in New York. The Prime minister was in the US to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.

Tuesday’s plenary session of the mega event was co-chaired by Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

On Tuesday at the summit, Modi made a strong case for collective efforts to establish a global framework for artificial intelligence (AI) based on open source which enhances trust, and transparency and is free from biases.

He also said the technology should be rooted in the local ecosystem for it to be effective and useful.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/pm-modi-meets-pichai-in-france-discusses-indias-digital-transformation-3401663

Sabeer Bhatia, the co-founder of Hotmail, has claimed that the Aadhaar project was carried out with a total expenditure of Rs 11,385 crore ($1.3 billion) when instead it could have been done for just Rs 175.16 crore ($20 million).

Bhatia spoke about the Aadhar project on a talk show called Prakhar Ke Pravachan, which is hosted by Prakhar Gupta.

He further said that Aadhaar project is “1.3 billion dollars ill spent” and also questioned whether all the biometric details that were taken are being used.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was created to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), named as “Aadhaar”, to all residents of India.

The entrepreneur then put forward his idea on how the project could have been carried out back then at a fraction of the cost incurred.

“A better way to solve unique identification of an individual would be video and voice technology which every smartphone user has,” he added.

Giving an example of airports, he said, “The moment you walk inside an airport, there is no need to show a card. The system will recognise you and say, ‘you have been verified’,” he said adding that “this is technology, and it can be built at less expense.”

Bhatia said that the project could have been built “under 20 million bucks”.

During the podcast he also claimed that whoever carried the project is “not a technologist, and they don’t know technology.”

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/rs-11385-cr-ill-spent-on-aadhaar-project-couldve-been-done-with-rs-136-cr-claims-hotmail-co-founder-sabeer-bhatia-3398158

Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni has officially resigned from her position as Mahamandaleshwar of the Kinnar Akhara, days after her expulsion from the religious order. In a video shared on Instagram, Kulkarni stated, “People have issues,” addressing the controversy surrounding her appointment.
Her resignation follows internal disputes within the Kinnar Akhara, leading to her and Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi’s expulsion by founder Rishi Ajay Das.
In a video statement, Kulkarni announced her resignation, addressing the controversy saying “I, Mahamandaleshwar Yamai Mamta Nandgiri, am stepping down from this position.”

“The honour I received was for my 25 years of spiritual practice, but some people have issues with my role as Mahamandaleshwar,” she added.

“My Guru, Shri Chaitanya Gagangiri Maharaj, was a Siddha Mahapurush. I have done 25 years of penance with him. I don’t need to go to Kailash, Manasarovar, or the Himalayas because all the worlds are already in front of me,” said Kulkarni.
Kulkarni also spoke about the financial controversies linked to her appointment, revealing that she couldn’t provide the Rs 2 lakh amount when it was requested.
Kulkarni said that Jai Ambagiri Mahamandaleshwar paid the amount from his own pocket, emphasising that the money she possesses comes from her deep penance, not material pursuits.
Rishi Ajay Das, founder of Kinnar Akhara, on January 31 expelled Mamta Kulkarni from the Akhara. Famous actor Mamta Kulkarni renounced the worldly life, took ‘sanyas’ by performing her own ‘pind daan’ and was consecrated as the ‘Mahamandaleshwar’ of the Kinnar Akhara at the Maha Kumbh Mela underway in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.
Das also expelled Mahamandaleshwar Laxminarayan Tripathi from the Kinnar Akhara for inducting Mamta Kulkarni, who is accused of treason, to the Akhara and designating her as Mahamandaleshwar without his knowledge.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/mamta-kulkarni-resigns-from-kinnar-akhada-mahamandaleshwar-post-wait-wasnt-she-expelled-article-118119465

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the Delhi elections with a decisive mandate winning 48 out of 70 assembly seats, defeating the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), setting the stage for the saffron party’s comeback after 27 years. The party, which has been given an undisputed mandate by the people of Delhi, is now brainstorming on the next CM candidate. The BJP, which has often come up with surprise names when it comes to the choice of CM, could well be on their way to give another one, sources have told Times Now. The party will choose a CM from the chosen MLAs only, sources have said, adding that one of the four women MLAs could be chosen for the top post.
Times Now sources said that the party may choose a CM from the chosen MLAs only. The BJP may choose one of the four women MLAs – Neelam Pahalwan, Rekha Gupta, Poonam Sharma, Shikha Roy – for the top post, the sources added.
If Delhi gets a woman CM, it would be the first in 11 years after Congress’ Sheila Dikshit – the woman who served Delhi for 15 long years.

Atishi, the only winner among the top leaders, resigned from the Chief Minister post on Sunday. She became CM after the Supreme Court put conditions while giving bail to Kejriwal that he won’t be signing any files.

Concentrating on social engineering, the saffron party is likely to appoint a deputy CM also. If sources are to be believed, the entire cabinet for the Delhi government may have a significant women and Dalit representation.
One of the top contenders for the CM post is Parvesh Sahib Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi seat becoming the man of the moment on Delhi election results day. Parvesh Verma’s father, Sahib Singh Verma was the Chief Minister of Delhi.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/delhi-to-get-woman-cm-after-11-years-bjp-may-throw-up-a-big-surprise-election-results-aap-article-118119245

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration targeted Indian restaurants, nail bars, convenience stores and car washes in what the Home Office on Monday described as a “UK-wide blitz” on illegals working in the country, a style associated with US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK Home Office had a record-breaking January as immigration enforcement teams raided 828 premises, including nail bars, convenience stores, restaurants and car washes, marking a 48% rise compared to the previous January.

At least 609 people were arrested in these raids, demonstrating a 73% increase from just 352 the previous year. “Tackling illegal working plays a vital part in the Home Office’s system-wide approach to ending the promise of false jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on boats and taking down their business models as we restore order to the immigration system,” the Office said in a statement.

A significant proportion of last month’s activity took place at restaurants, takeaways and cafes as well as in the food, drink and tobacco industry. This included a visit to an Indian restaurant in Humberside, where seven people were arrested and four detained.

“The immigration rules must be respected and enforced. For far too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit illegal migrants and too many people have been able to arrive and work illegally with no enforcement action ever taken,” said Cooper.

Why Is UK Cracking Down On Illegal Immigrants?

According to BBC, there were more than 23,000 people crossing the English channel in small boats between the time when the Labour Party won in July last year and December, and more people are dying than ever before. This has sparked concerns about illegal immigration amid Trump’s crackdown in America.

Given the rising popularity of anti-immigrant Reform UK, the Labour government is adopting a “show, not tell” strategy and want to give off a sense of demonstrable toughness, visible muscularity to tackle immigration.

The government has also released a video showing the deportation of migrants for the first time as it removed nearly 19,000 people including failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK since July 2024. A total of 1,090 civil penalty notices have been issued during that phase, with employers facing a fine of up to GBP 60,000 per worker if found liable.

“These figures demonstrate the commitment of my teams to crack down on those who think they can flout our immigration system. I hope it sends a strong signal that there is no hiding place from the law, and we will continue to ramp up our activity to ensure those involved face the full consequences,” said Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime.

The Home Office is also working upstream to deter people from entering the UK illegally by launching a new international campaign to debunk people smugglers’ lies. “Social media adverts went live in Vietnam in December and Albania in January, highlighting real stories from migrants who entered the UK illegally, only to face debt, exploitation, and a life far from what they were promised.”

UK’s Border Security Bill

The latest UK crackdown on illegal immigration as the Labour Party government’s Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill returns to Parliament for its second reading this week. The new legislation aims to smash the criminal gangs that Prime Minister Keir Starmer-led administration says undermine border security.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will grant law enforcement additional powers to take earlier and more effective action against organised crime gangs, including seizing mobile phones from people who come to the UK illegally before the point of arrest.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/indian-restaurants-targeted-as-starmer-launches-trump-style-uk-wide-blitz-on-illegal-immigrants-9222746.html

No vehicles will be allowed in the Maha Kumbh mela area from 4 AM on Tuesday, while the no-entry rule will be applicable in entire Prayagraj from 5 PM. This ban will remain till Wednesday. The arrangements have been made in view of the Magh Purnima on February 12.

There is a belief that if a person observes ‘Kalpvas’ on the banks of Sangam in Prayagraj (during Maha Kumbh) till Magh month, he/she gets the fruits of penance of thousand years. According to the tradition, ‘Kalpvas’ is ending on 12 February, Magh Purnima. All ‘Kalpvasis’ will end their ‘Kalpvas’ by taking bath in the holy Sangam on Purnima Tithi, as per the rules.

What is ‘Kalpvas’? ‘Kalpavas’ finds mention in scriptures like Mahabharata and refers to the practice of a month-long period of austerity and spiritual focus. People who observe this ritual are known as ‘Kalpvashis’. These ‘Kalpavashis’ are expected to renounce modern comforts and live in tents near the Sangam.

Two Class 9 girls jumped out of a running bus after its driver, conductor and two other persons allegedly made obscene comments, stared at them and refused to stop the vehicle in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, police said.

The girls were injured in the incident, which took place on Monday morning, and were admitted to the district hospital, they said.

The bus driver, conductor and the two other accused were later arrested.

“The two girls, students of a school in Tori, were going by the bus from Adhrota to appear for their exams. There were four other persons in the bus, including the driver and conductor. The accused made obscene comments and refused to stop the bus when the girls asked them to do so,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Bhawana Dangi said.

“The girls got suspicious as the accused, besides staring at them, also shut the rear door of the vehicle. Fearing for their safety, the two girls jumped out of the moving bus,” Dangi said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/two-class-9-girls-injured-after-jumping-off-moving-bus-after-driver-others-obscene-remarks-101739245829299.html

Congress leader P Chidambaram has pointed out the reduced allocation for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Union Budget and wondered if Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was doing an “Elon Musk” on the foreign ministry.

In a budget presented by Ms Sitharaman on February 1, the MEA was allocated a total of Rs 20,516 crore as against the current fiscal’s budget estimate of Rs 22,154 crore and revised estimate of Rs 25,277 crore.

Mr Chidambaram’s ‘Elon Musk’ mention was about the tech billionaire being in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tasked by President Donald Trump to carry out cuts to the US government.

Initiating a discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26 in Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mr Chidambaram sought to know the reasons for the reduction in allocations for the MEA and if the government is closing down embassies and consulates and shrinking India’s presence across the world.

“The finance minister has asked this house to appropriate Rs 20,517 crore for the Ministry of External Affairs. Usually, the MEA doesn’t figure in her Budget speech… In 2023-24, the past year we allocated Rs 28,915 crore. In the current year, the revised estimate is Rs 25,277 crore, almost Rs 3,600 crore less in the current year,” the former Union finance minister pointed out.

“For the next year, the finance minister is asking for only Rs 20,517 crore, another Rs 5,300 crore less,” he added.

“I wish the external affairs minister (S Jaishankar) is here. I suspect that, and I hope not, I suspect that the finance minister is doing an ‘Elon Musk’ on the external affairs minister”, Mr Chidambaram said.

“Somebody must explain, are we shrinking our world presence? Are we closing down embassies? Are we closing down consulates? Be that as it may,” Mr Chidambaram said further.

Ministry of External Affairs’s Budget Share

The MEA has been allocated Rs 5,483 crore for aid to foreign nations, slightly higher than last fiscal year’s Rs 4,883 crore.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/n-sitharaman-doing-an-elon-musk-on-s-jaishankar-p-chidambaram-on-budget-7682940

A 37-year-old driver from Pune recently died from Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare and potentially deadly neurological disorder, bringing the total death toll linked to GBS in the region to 7.

According to a Pune Civic official, the driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, was initially brought to a Pune hospital after he complained of weakness in his lower limbs.

“The deceased worked as a driver in Pune. He was initially brought to a city-based hospital following complaints of weakness in the lower limbs,” a Pune civic health official said on Monday.

However, his relatives decided to transfer him to Nipani in Karnataka on February 1, before seeking treatment at a hospital in Sangli. There, he was administered intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a common treatment for GBS.

Despite this, his condition worsened, and on February 5, the patient was readmitted to Pune’s Kamala Nehru Hospital against medical advice.

“On February 5, the relatives of the patient took a discharge against the medical advice (from Sangli) and admitted him the same day in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Pune Municipal Corporation-run Kamala Nehru Hospital, according to officials.

During his time at the Pune hospital, the patient tragically suffered supra-ventricular tachycardia, a heart rhythm disorder during treatment. “He suffered a cardiac arrest on February 9 and died,” the official added.

GBS outbreak in Pune: Total cases rise to 192

According to officials, of the 192 suspected cases, 167 patients were diagnosed with GBS.

Of the 192 cases, 39 patients were from Pune Municipal Corporation areas, 91 were from newly-added villages in the civic area, 29 were from Pimpri Chinchwad civic body, 25 were from Pune rural region and eight were from other districts.

More than 7,000 women have taken sanyas initiation in various akharas during the ongoing Maha Kumbh to protect the Sanatan Dharma, a statement released by the Uttar Pradesh government said.

According to the official statement, the number of women joining to protect Sanatan under the leadership of Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Avdheshanand Giri of Juna Akhara, Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swami Arun Giri of Shri Panchdashnam Awahan Akhara and Dharmacharyas of Vaishnav saints was high.

More than 7,000 women took ‘Guru Diksha’ in all the major akharas and pledged to serve Sanatan.

Dr Devya Giri, president of Shri Panchdashnam Juna Akhara, said, “This time 246 women were given initiation as Naga Sanyasini in the Maha Kumbh.” In the 2019 Kumbh, 210 women were initiated as Naga Sanyasinis.

Devya Giri said that among the women who were initiated, a large number of them are highly educated.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/more-than-7000-women-have-taken-sanyas-initiation-during-maha-kumbh-3397573

Three new books penned by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee – including one tracing her long political innings since the 1980s – were launched at the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair, which drew to a close on Sunday.

Sudipto Dey from Dey’s Publishing, the publishers of the new books, told PTI that among the three, ‘Lipiboddo Kichu Kaaj’ (Some Chronicled Works), was the highest-selling one at the fair, which began on January 28.

‘Lipibodho Kichu Kaaj’ contains anecdotes by Banerjee when she was the Railway Minister and later the CM.

One of the other books, ‘Banglar Nirbachon O Amra’ (We and Elections in Bengal), an account of the elections fought by her party, the TMC, is also selling well, Dey said.

In the third book, ‘Salute 2’, Banerjee pays tributes to 50 eminent personalities through poems in Bengali and English.

TMC MP Dola Sen told PTI that “Didi (as Banerjee is affectionately referred to) is the bestseller of this book fair. You make an inquiry on your own and you will find out. Thousands of editions of her books have been sold out like past years.” During a recent function, the CM had said that she jots down her thoughts amid hectic work schedules.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/3-books-penned-by-mamata-launched-at-48th-kolkata-book-fair-3397611

In one of the deadliest blows to Naxalites in Chhattisgarh, security forces on Sunday gunned down 31 rebels in a fierce encounter in the state’s Bijapur district. Two security personnel were also killed in the face-off. The massive operation in the jungles of Bastar region was carried out by a 600-strong team of trained commandos and was planned for over a fortnight, according to reports.
The Sunday’s operation – hailed by Union home minister Amit Shah as a “big achievement” for the security forces – has raised the number of Maoists killed so far this year to 81.
The operation, which was planned for over a fortnight, witnessed jawans from the Chhattisgarh police’s District Reserve Guard, Special Task Force (STF), and Bastar fighters entering the Indravati National Park area through various routes on Thursday morning.

A section of the commandos entered the forests through the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra. Their movement to the Maoists cadres camping area was facilitated by the state police.

The operation began at around 8am with intense gunbattle on a forested hill along the border of Manded and Farsegarh police station areas, Bastar range inspector general of police Sundarraj P said. The exchange of fire lasted till around 4 pm, he said.
“So far, bodies of 31 Naxalites, including 11 women, clad in ‘uniform’ have been recovered from the encounter site. Besides, a huge cache of weapons, including AK-47, INSAS, SLR and .303 rifles and Barrel Grenade Launchers (BGL), and explosives have also been seized from the scene,” the official said.
The huge cache of automatic weapons from the site indicates the presence of senior Maoist cadres for a meeting, the official said.
The slain Maoists are believed to be from Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
“The identification of Maoists will be done on Monday but a senior cadre is likely to have been killed in the encounter because the kind of automatic rifles recovered from the encounter spot. Police also had specific input of senior cadres hence the operation was planned,” an intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/chhattisgarh-encounter-how-security-forces-struck-deep-inside-the-jungles-of-bastar-region-article-118101432

The much-anticipated eighth edition of the ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ (PPC), with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, is set to return in a new and expanded format, featuring an array of distinguished experts and guests.

The 8th edition of PPC will begin on Monday at 11 a.m., where PM Modi will lead the gathering in sharing examination and stress management tips to students for overcoming exam-related anxiety.

Ahead of the PPC event, PM Modi on Sunday shared a ‘teaser’ of the event where he could be seen sharing light-hearted conversation with the students.

“Let’s help our #ExamWarriors overcome exam stress. Do watch ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ at 11 AM tomorrow, 10th February. #PPC2025,” said PM Modi, in a reminder to students and parents through a social media post on X.

In the video, PM Modi could be seen giving lucid explanation on how a top-class batsman focusses only on the ball, while keeping everything aside.

A couple of participating students also showcased their skills with one showing flower clapping technique while the other reciting a couplet.

The 2-minute video clip concludes with students speaking in one voice, “Very excited for Pariksha Pe Charcha.”

This year, the program will feature an impressive line-up of personalities, including spiritual leader Sadhguru, Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey, and Bhumi Pednekar, as well as sports icons Mary Kom, Avani Lekhara, and Suhas Yathiraj.

Other notable guests include nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, entrepreneur Radhika Gupta, digital influencer Technical Guruji and other renowned personalities from diverse fields who will guide students on essential aspects of life and learning.

This year, 36 students from all states and UTs, have been selected from state/ UT board government schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sainik School, Eklavya Model Residential School, CBSE and Navodaya Vidyalaya.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/video-pm-modi-shares-teaser-of-8th-edition-of-pariksha-pe-charcha-7672698

Anupam Mittal, the founder of Shaadi.com and Shark Tank India panelist, has a wedding gift for Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani’s youngest son, Jeet Adani – deleting his long-forgotten profile on the matrimonial website. Jeet Adani, who married Diva Jaimin Shah last week, had interacted with Mr Mittal on Shark Tank’s ‘Beyond The Tank’ segment days before his wedding and had requested Mr Mittal to delete his profile, which he said was created as a childhood prank by his school friends.

“As promised, here’s a small wedding gift from me to you & Diva @jeet_adani1. We have had ur profile deleted from @ShaadiDotCom now that u have confirmed ur participation in @sharktankindia,” Mr Mittal wrote in a post on X. He also attached a screenshot showing the ‘Jeet Adani’ profile as “not found” on the matrimonial website.

Jeet Adani and Diva Jaimin Shah, daughter of diamond merchant Jaimin Shah, got married on Friday in Ahmedabad.

Shark Tank “Divyang Special” episode with Jeet Adani

A special Shark Tank India “Divyang special” episode has been announced after Mr Adani suggested that there should be an episode centered around what can be done for entrepreneurs with disabilities and the entrepreneurs working for persons with disabilities. The registrations for the special episode with Mr Adani will remain open till February 15.

During the conversation with Mr Mittal, Mr Adani also said the Adani Group has mandated that about five per cent of their workforce will be persons with disabilities. He said the step was taken after he visited the Mitti Cafe – which employs adults with physical, mental, and psychiatric disabilities, particularly from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

“When I went to the opening of the Mitti Cafe (at the Mumbai International Airport), the smile, spark and compassion of their staff members, after all the hardships they have faced, moved me. After that, we decided to mandate that 5 per cent of our workforce – across Adani Group – will be from this background,” Mr Adani told the Shark Tank India panelist.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/anupam-mittal-has-a-wedding-gift-for-jeet-adani-its-a-deleted-profile-7675203

Four men, who head three dairies in three states, have been arrested in connection with the Tirupati laddoo adulteration case that had shocked the country last year. The investigation by a special team set up the Supreme Court after a massive controversy, has uncovered the details of the deliberate contamination.

Those arrested include Bipin Jain and Pomil Jain, former directors of Bhole Baba Dairy (Roorkee, Uttarakhand), Vaishnavi Dairy (Poonambakkam, Tamil Nadu) CEO Apoorva Vinay Kant Chawda, and AR Dairy (Dundigal, Telangana) MD Raju Rajasekharan.

The investigation revealed serious violations during ghee supply, with irregularities at every step.

For the supply of ghee, representatives of Vaishnavi Dairy secured tenders in the name of AR Dairy, said sources in the Central Bureau of Investigation. They fabricated false documents and seals, using the name of AR Dairy to manipulate the tender process.

Employees of Vaishnavi Dairy also created fake records claiming they have sourced ghee from Bhole Baba Dairy in Roorkee. The investigators found that Bhole Baba Dairy did not have the capacity to supply such quantities of ghee.

The team identified the irregularities and arrested four individuals from three dairies.

Allegations that ghee adulterated with animal fat are being use to make the laddoos for prasadam at the Tirupati exploded across headlines last year, sparking a massive row that speedily became political.

The Andhra government had red-flagged a report from a lab in Gujarat that said samples of the the ghee bought from a supplier in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul contained traces of fish oil, beef tallow, and lard. The lab also added a disclaimer about “false positives”.

The Supreme Court slammed the mix of religion and politics and ordered a special team be formed to investigate the animal fat allegations.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chiefs-of-3-dairies-arrested-in-connection-with-tirupati-laddoo-case-7673120

Massive fire engulfed several shanties on the wee hours of Sunday in Narkeldanga area in north Kolkata leaving one dead and few injured.

According to local people, more than 60 out of 120 shanties were gutted to the ground and several people were seen sitting on the ground after losing all their belongings including valuables.

While other residents managed to run out of their slums when the fire engulfed the shanties, Habibulla Mollar, who was said to be sleeping in a godown where he worked, was killed in the fire and could not be taken out as the door of the godown was locked from inside. His charred body was taken out after the fire was doused.

Several residents were seen crying as the admit cards of their children sitting for board examinations also got burnt.

The locals were seen agitating in front of the nearby police station and also in front of the local councillor Sachin Singh and alleged that many huts could have been saved had the fire tenders come on time. The locals also claimed that the fire tenders came at least an hour after the fire started spreading.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/kolkata-massive-fire-engulfs-narkeldanga-slum-guts-over-60-shanties-one-dead-several-injured

Indian security forces have killed 31 Maoist rebels in the forests of Chhattisgarh state.

Two Indian commandos were also killed in the battle, and two other security force members were wounded, police said.

Chhattisgarh has seen a long-running insurgency by Maoists who say they are fighting for the rights of the poor.

Sunday’s clashes were among the deadliest clashes since the government ramped up efforts to crush the insurgency, which has been running since the 1960s.

“So far 31 dead bodies of the Maoists have been recovered,” senior police officer Sundarraj Pattilingam said.

The death toll could rise as police carry out operations in the area, he said.

Police said they had seized assault rifles and grenade launchers from the bodies of the dead rebels.

The clashes took place in the forests of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.

Amit Shah, India’s interior minister, who says the government expects to crush the rebellion by 2026, said the operation had been a “big success”.

The rebels are inspired by the Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. They claim to be fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor.

The insurgency began in West Bengal state in the late 1960s and has since spread to more than a third of India’s 600 districts.

The rebels control large areas of several states in a “red corridor” stretching from north-east to central India.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqjv1kg8vq9o

A doctor who claimed that milk and paneer cannot be considered as vegetarian food, stirred a heated debate online. Dr Sylvia Karpagam stated that since paneer and milk are derived from animals, they are non-vegetarian.

Another doctor, Sunita Sayammagaru took to social media and posted a picture of an ‘Indian thali’ and captioned it “Dinner plate of husband’s vegetarian meal. Has protein, good fats and fiber” promoted the debate.

The image she shared featured a thali which included paneer, moong dal, salad with carrots, cucumber and onions, along with raw coconut, walnuts and a bowl of unsweetened kheer, highlighting it as a well-balanced dish.

Responding to the aforementioned post, Dr Sylvia Karpagam who is the working editor of the Indian Journal Medical Ethics, insisted that milk and paneer are not vegetarian foods.

“Also paneer and milk are not ‘veg’. They are animal source foods…..same like chicken, fish, beef and all,” she wrote.

This quickly led to a widespread debate on X. Many individuals opposing her view argued that dairy products are vegetarian as no animals were harmed while obtaining them.

One user commented, “No animals are killed to produce milk or paneer, so they remain vegetarian.” While another person said, “Dairy products are sourced from animals without harming or killing them. Therefore, they qualify as vegetarian, though not vegan. Any ethical concerns regarding animal treatment arise from the dairy industry’s practices, but that does not change their classification as vegetarian.”

Countering this argument, Dr Karpagam said that eggs which are widely considered non-vegetarian even though hens do not need to be killed to lay them.

Several users accused her of spreading misinformation while other questioned if she has made the post as a ‘rage bait’ to drive engagement.

Owing to cultural and religious reasons, the definition of ‘vegetarian’ varies across the country unlike in other part of the world. A vegetarian in India consumes dairy products and not eggs, making them lactos-vegetarians.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/indian-doctor-says-paneer-milk-not-veg-sparks-debate-on-social-media-3396414 

A massive fire broke out in the market of the famous resort town of Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.

The fire, which started from a restaurant quickly spread to the adjacent shops in the Sonamarg market, they said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was in constant touch with the local administration to ensure all possible assistance.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/massive-fire-breaks-out-in-market-in-jammu-kashmirs-sonamarg-9220320.html

The ongoing Mahakumbh at Triveni Sangam continues to draw devotees from across the globe to witness and participate in one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.

Devotees are flocking to the Mahakumbh Mela Kshetra to take a sacred dip in the Triveni Sangam, experiencing the spiritual significance of this ancient and grand event.

Around 410 million devotees have taken a holy dip at Mahakumbh 2025.

On Saturday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, accompanied by Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma, took holy dip together at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj.

CM Yadav and Rajasthan CM Sharma also greeted each other at Triveni Sangam after taking the holy dip together. Triveni Sangam is the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj.

After the holy dip, CM Yadav told ANI, “Sangam has the blessings of Maa Ganga and Maa Yamuna and Prayagraj is the supreme place of all pilgrimages. So the pleasure of having a holy dip here is achieved after the virtues of many births. I prayed here for the wellness of Madhya Pradesh’s people, especially for youth and fortune for every section of the society.”

In a post on X, CM Yadav wrote, “Today, I took a dip with my wife at the sacred Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj Mahakumbh and worshipped the flowing rivers. It filled me with the feeling of divinity. I wish that the flow of Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna and Maa Saraswati remains uninterrupted for eternity, and everyone be blessed.”

Mahakumbh 2025, which commenced on Paush Purnima (January 13, 2025), is the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mahakumbh-2025-over-410-million-devotees-take-holy-dip-at-triveni-sangam-101739071459976.html

With the BJP looking at a comfortable win in Delhi Assembly elections, the party’s Patparganj candidate Ravinder Singh Negi won from the constituency.

With over 74,060 votes, Mr. Negi won by a margin of 28,072 votes. according to data from the Election Commission of India. Avadh Ojha of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) finished second with 45,988 votes and Congress’ Anil Kumar was at the third place with 16,549 votes.

The BJP won 13 Assembly seats and was leading in 34 while the AAP won 11 and was leading in 12 seats. The Congress was yet to open its account, as of 2.45 p.m., according to the ECI.

Mr. Negi, notoriously, forced all meat shops to close in east Delhi’s Vinod Nagar area during Navratri in 2023 when he was a councillor. In a video that garnered widespread attention then, Mr. Negi was seen asking meat shops in the area to down their shutters. “We didn’t force them to shut their shops, we just requested them to do so keeping in mind the religious beliefs and sentiments of devotees,” he had said.

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/elections/delhi-assembly/delhi-assembly-elections-2025-ravinder-negi-the-man-whose-feet-pm-modi-touched-leads-from-patparganj/article69195490.ece

In a shocking incident, a video has gone viral on social media, showing a group of people holding a mock funeral procession of former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal. In the video, they are carrying an effigy of Kejriwal with his photo on it while a band plays music in the background.

A young boy in the procession is seen holding a paper that reads, “Arvind Kejriwal, the only son of the corrupt.” The reason behind this protest is not clear, but it appears to be a demonstration against Kejriwal. The exact time and location of the viral video is not known, however, it is being claimed that the video is from Delhi.

The video is going viral on social media and FPJ does not vouch for the authenticity of the video.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a historic victory in the Delhi polls on Saturday. BJP returned to power after over 26 years in the national capital by defeating the Aam Aadmi Party.

Several AAP leaders, including former Chief Minister and national convener Arvind Kejriwal, lost in their strongholds. This result follows the BJP-led coalition’s success in the Maharashtra elections and its victory in Haryana, further cementing its dominance in national politics.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand welcome at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, as he arrived to celebrate the party’s thumping victory.

As per ANI, addressing the party workers at the BJP headquarters, PM Modi said, “I thank the people of Delhi. Delhi has given us love wholeheartedly and I once again assure the people that we will return you double the love in the form of development.”

“Today’s victory is historic. This is not an ordinary victory. The people of Delhi have driven out ‘AAP-da’. Delhi has been freed from the ‘AAP-da’. The mandate of Delhi is clear. Today, development, vision and trust have won in Delhi. Today, ostentation, anarchy, arrogance and the ‘AAP-da’ that had engulfed Delhi have been defeated. I congratulate every BJP worker and all of you for this victory,” he added.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/politics/delhi-assembly-elections-2025-celebrations-begin-as-pm-modi-arrives-at-bjp-headquarters-party-returns-to-power-after-26-years

Jeet Adani has tied the knot with Diva Shah. The wedding was one of the most anticipated events of the year, and the big day for the couple was scheduled for today (February 7).

The younger son of Gautam Adani, the business tycoon and Diva followed Gujarati and Jain traditions for their ceremonies, which were intimate affairs with close family and friends marking their attendance.

Decor and Guest List

The couple had decided to keep the decor and the atmosphere simple yet elegant. For the guests, the families planned not to invite thousands of people to the ceremonies, hence eliminating the movie stars and other biggies of the industry.

Collaboration with Manish Malhotra

While Jeet hails from a rich background, so does his wife, as the Shahs are quite respected in the diamond industry. To put the money to good use, the newlyweds will donate Rs. 10 lakh every year to support disabled women in their marriage ceremonies.

Furthermore, the couple has also collaborated with Manish Malhotra and the NGO Family of Disabled to provide clothing and custom-made shawls.

Speaking of the grand affair, the father of the groom, Gautam Adani, previously revealed that the event will mainly focus on meaningful celebrations and Ganga Arti at Prayagraj, which was performed as a pre-wedding ritual.

Source : https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/news/jeet-adani-diva-shah-wedding-first-pictures-of-couple-out-venue-to-guest-list-heres-all-you-want-to-know-about-grand-ceremony-1371436

Delhi Assembly Election Results 2025 Key Candidates and Parties: Early counting of votes indicate the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is heading towards the victory in Delhi for the first time in 27 years. The trends suggest that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a significant dent in its tally while Congress failed to impressive voters in the city again.

1. New Delhi

AAP chief and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is facing challenging from former MP and BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and former cabinet minister and son of Sheila Dikshit, Sandeep Dikshit. Kejriwal defeated Dikshit in New Delhi in his first election in 2013 and has been holding the seat since then.

2. Kalkaji

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi is facing former MP and BJP leader Ramesh Singh Bidhuri and Congress’ Alka Lamba.

Atishi defeated BJP’s Dharambir Singh of BJP by a margin of 11,393 votes in 2020 election.

3. Sultanpur Majra

Delhi Cabinet Minister Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat is seeking re-election from Sultanpur Majra. BJP has fielded Karam Singh Karma and Congress pitted Jai Kishan.

In 2020, Ahlawat won the seat defeating Ram Chander Chawriya of BJP by a margin of 48,052 AAP had a vote share of 66.51% in 2020 in this seat.

4. Ballimaran

Delhi Cabinet Minister Imran Hussain has been pitted against BJP’s Kamal Bagri and former Congress bigwig Haroon Yusuf. Hussain won the seat in 2015 and 2020 Delhi Assembly elections while Yusuf emerged victorious in 2008 and 2013.

5. Greater Kailash

Delhi Health Minister and sitting MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj has been field again from Greater Kailash. BJP has pitted Shikha Roy and Garvit Singhvi from Congress.

Bharadwaj has won the seat in 2013, 2015 and 2020 as well.

6. ShakurBasti

Former cabinet minister and AAP leader Satyendar Jain is facing BJP’s Karnail Singha and Congress leader Satish Singh Luthra.

Jain won back to back election from seat in 2013, 2015 and 2020.

7. Malviya Nagar

AAP leader Somanth Bharti is facing former BJP chief Satish Upadhaya and Congress leader Jitender Kumar Kochar. Bharti won the seat in 2013, 2015, and 2020.

8. Rohini

BJP’s Vijender Gupta, who retained the Rohini seat despite AAP’s landslide victories in 2015 and 2020, is seeking re-election from the seat again. AAP leader Pardeep Mittal and Congress Sumesh Gupta are also in the fray.

In the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections, AAP’s Rajesh Garg won the seat defeating BJP’s Jai Bhagwan Aggarwal.

9. Patparganj

AAP’s new inductee Avadh Ojha is facing former Delhi Congress chief Anil Chowdhury and BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi. Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia won the seat in 2013, 215 and 2020. He switched to Jangpura seat for this election.

10. Jangpura

Former Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia is facing Congress leader Farhad Suri and BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah. The seat has been retained by AAP candidates since 2013.

11. Chandni Chowk

Punardeep Singh Sawney (Sabby) is facing a tough challenge from BJP’s Satish Jain and Mudit Agarwal from Congress.

Congress candidate Parlad Singh Sawhney won the seat in 2013. Congress leader Alka Lamba, who contested on AAP ticket, bagged the seat in 2015 and AAP’s Parlad Singh Sawhney won in 2020.

Source : https://www.news18.com/elections/delhi-election-results-2025-full-list-of-key-candidates-and-constituencies-to-watch-out-arvind-kejriwal-ramesh-bidhuri-manish-sisodia-aap-bjp-9219142.html

Ratan Tata, the iconic businessman who passed away last year, has named Mohini Mohan Dutta in his will, who reportedly bequeathed a wealth of ₹500 crore. According to an Economic Times report, the inner circle was perplexed as Ratan Tata’s association with the beneficiary is known only to a few.

Who is Mohini Mohan Dutta?

Mohini Mohan Dutta is an entrepreneur in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur.

Mohini Mohan Dutta owned a travel agency called Stallion. In 2013, it merged with a subsidiary of the Taj Group of Hotels, Taj Services.

Mohini Mohan Dutta and the family held 80 percent stake in Stallion; the remaining was owned by the Tata Group.

Dutta was also a director of TC Travel Services, an erstwhile affiliate of Thomas Cook.

Mohini Mohan Dutta was an associate of Ratan Tata and was known to his family circles, reported ET.

Dutta has two daughters. One of them worked for Tata Trusts for nine years. She was an employee of Taj Hotels before that.

ET reported citing sources that Mohini Mohan Dutta used to describe himself as being close to Tata family members.

He reportedly met Ratan Tata in Jamshedpur at the Dealers’ Hostel when the latter was 24. They had known each other for 60 years. He had said that Ratan Tata “built me up”.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/who-is-mohini-mohan-dutta-man-who-received-rs-500-crore-in-ratan-tatas-will-101738906158593.html

The Bombay High Court on Friday stayed Canara Bank’s November 2024 order classifying industrialist Anil Ambani’s loan account, linked to the insolvency-bound Reliance Communications, as fraudulent under the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Master Circular.

A Division Bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale also sought Canara Bank’s response to plea moved by Ambani challenging the bank’s move, and directed Ambani to implead the RBI as a party.

The Court also sought an explanation from RBI on whether it proposes to take any action against banks that have repeatedly defied the RBI’s master circular and Supreme Court rulings, which mandate that borrowers must be given a hearing before classifying their accounts as fraudulent.

The Court relied on a December 2024 order in a related case, where it had stayed a similar fraud classification against an independent director of Reliance Communications.

“Have they got no accountability? Are they not duty-bound to go through the orders passed by the apex court from time to time?” the Court asked today.

In its November 8, 2024 order, Canara Bank classified the loan accounts of Reliance Communications and its subsidiary as fraudulent, citing misappropriation of a ₹1,050-crore loan extended in 2017.

During Friday’s hearing, Ambani’s counsel, Senior Advocate Gaurav Joshi, argued that the bank’s classification order was issued on November 8 but was not communicated to Ambani until December 25 days after the Bombay High Court had already stayed a similar classification in a related matter.

He further alleged that Canara Bank had informed the RBI about the fraud classification as early as September 2024, even before issuing the order.

“They (Canara Bank) declare fraud even before passing the order,” Joshi submitted.

He further contended that although a show-cause notice was issued on October 11, 2023, and a preliminary reply was submitted soon after, the bank failed to provide critical documents, including forensic reports and other materials relied upon for the classification.

While the forensic report was shared, he argued that it was merely an opinion of a Chartered Accountant. Despite repeated requests including a letter on December 20, 2023, the bank allegedly refused to share the necessary materials. Joshi also pointed out that Canara Bank has not yet formulated its internal policy for classifying accounts as fraudulent, as required under the RBI guidelines.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/bombay-high-court-stays-classification-anil-ambani-reliance-comm-loan-account-fraud

People attending Maha Kumbh Mela are not only taking the holy dip at Triveni Sangam but also visiting different Akhadas to seek the blessings of Sadhus. While you might have come across many reels showing these Sadhus meditating, chanting, or blessing devotees, this recent video claims to show Maha Kumbh Babas enjoying a cricket match in their free time.

A video posted on X showed Babas engaged in a cricket match along with locals. It was suggested that the Babas seen in the clip were none other than those at Maha Kumbh 2025.

An X user named Jitendra Pratap Singh uploaded the video online with the caption, “Babas playing cricket in their free time during Maha Kumbh”.

The footage opened by showing a saffron dhoti-clad Baba on strike during the cricket match between Sadhus and the lay people of Prayagraj. The visuals showed the Sadhus in action as the crowd cheers them loudly. Youths are seen recording the game on camera.

The X video has received widespread attention. It has crossed 3,000 on the social media platform and attracted a few comments. Netizens appreciated the clip and believed it to be one of the most beautiful reels they saw today. People were seen captioning this match in their words. While one called it “Baba XI vs Prayagraj”, other wrote, “This is Maha Kumbh Naga League”.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/viral/babas-vs-prayagraj-league-viral-video-shows-maha-kumbh-sadhus-playing-cricket-with-locals

At least 4 people including two women died on Friday due to an explosion at an illegal fire cracker factory at Kalyani in Nadia district.

According to sources, one person with serious injuries has been admitted to a local hospital.

Soon after the huge explosion the local police along with fire brigade had reached the spot as after the explosion fire broke out at the factory.

The forensic team had also reached the spot to collect samples for the factory.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for busting an alleged drug trafficking syndicate in Mumbai on Friday, aligning with the Union Government’s zero-tolerance policy against narcotics.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Amit Shah hailed the success of the operation, stating, “A major breakthrough in Mumbai in seizing very high-grade cocaine, ganja, and cannabis gummies and arresting four people. It is a testament to the success of the top-to-bottom approach to investigation adopted to make PM Narendra Modi’s vision for a drug-free India a reality.”

Bharat crushes drug cartels with zero tolerance.

A major breakthrough in Mumbai in seizing very high-grade cocaine, ganja, and cannabis gummies and arresting four people. It is a testament to the success of the top-to-bottom approach to investigation adopted to make PM Shri…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 7, 2025

NCB’s Massive Seizure In Mumbai

Earlier in the day, the NCB-Mumbai zonal unit confirmed the arrest of 4 people and the seizure of 11.540 Kgs of high-quality cocaine, 4.9 Kgs of hybrid strain of Hydroponic weed, 5.5 Kgs of cannabis on January 31, 2025, busting an alleged drug syndicate operating in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The agency said that the four people arrested were anonymous to each other, using pseudo-names to converse day-to-day for drug dealing.

“In pursuance of PM Narendra Modi’s vision of Drug-Free India (Nasha Mukt Bharat) and acting upon the Union Home Minister’s directives, in a major breakthrough, against the drug trafficking syndicates operating in India and especially in Mumbai, the Narcotics Control Bureau Mumbai Zonal Unit busted a major drug syndicate in Mumbai,” read a statement by the anti-narcotics agency today.

The agency arrested and seized the drugs based on leads of another drug bust of 200 grams of cocaine in January 2025.

“This seizure was a result of a concerted effort made by the team NCB Mumbai on the leads developed during a recent previous seizure of 200 gms Cocaine in the month of January 2025. After working on the leads generated in this case and through technical and human intelligence, the NCB MZU was finally able to reach the source of the contraband,” the statement added.

According to the NCB, the drugs were going to be sent to Australia, and in the meantime, the bulk quantity of the drugs was being concealed in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/amit-shah-hails-ncbs-massive-drug-bust-in-mumbai-highlights-zero-tolerance-in-fight-against-cartels

Source : https://x.com/ANI/status/1887421370868646241

The Union government has “taken note” of China’s announcement of a mega dam project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) river in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query in Rajya Sabha also said various issues relating to trans-border rivers are discussed with China under the ambit of an “institutionalised Expert Level Mechanism,” which was established in 2006, as well as through diplomatic channels.

The ministry was asked whether China’s decision to construct a hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra river, which flows into India and Bangladesh, has raised concerns about its potential impact on millions of people living downstream.

“The Government of India has taken note of China’s announcement of a mega dam project approved on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (upper reaches of the Brahmaputra) River in the Tibet Autonomous Region,” he said.

As a lower riparian state with considerable established user rights to the waters of the transborder rivers, the government has “consistently conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities,” and has urged them to ensure that the interests of downstream states are “not harmed by any activities in upstream areas,” the minister said.

“Following the recent announcement by China of the mega dam project, we have amplified our concerns and demarched them on 30 December 2024, including on the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries,” he said.

The issue was also raised during the visit of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Beijing for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism, he said.

During the visit, the two countries agreed to hold an early meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism to discuss resumption of provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers, Singh said in his response.

The ministry was also asked about the measures India is taking to engage with China to address ecological and water flow stability in the northeastern states and to ensure adherence to international water-sharing principles.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/minister-of-state-for-external-affairs-kirti-vardhan-singh-says-centre-has-taken-note-of-chinas-announcement-of-mega-dam-project-7651533

Jeet Adani, the youngest son of Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani, is set to marry Diva Jaimin Shah in a “simple and traditional” ceremony in Ahmedabad today. The pre-wedding celebrations began on February 5 and the first picture from one of the functions is out. Wedding guest Pinky Reddy shared a photo with the groom’s mother Preeti Adani on her Instagram story. A location stamp on the picture shows it is from Shantivan Bungalows.

Pinky Reddy, Philanthropist and past President of FICCI FLO, is seen in a yellow saree with beautiful pink flowers and green leaves embroidered on the border. Ms Reddy is the wife of GVK scion GV Sanjay Reddy.

The groom’s mother, Preeti Adani, wore a lehenga with a big necklace.

Meha Patel, Vice-Chairperson of Zydus Foundation, posed with the two ladies.

“Beautiful family carnival,” Pinky Reddy captioned her picture.

The Adani Wedding

The wedding festivities will start at 2 pm. The rituals will be conducted as per traditional Jain and Gujarati culture at Shantigram, the Adani township in Ahmedabad.

Jeet Adani joined the Adani Group in 2019, after attending the University of Pennsylvania – School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He currently spearheads the Adani Airports business and Adani Digital Labs.

Diva Jaimin Shah is the daughter of diamond merchant Jaimin Shah.

Last month, while interacting with the media in Prayagraj, industrialist Gautam Adani cleared that it would be a “simple and traditional” ceremony, and not a star-studded spectacle. Mr Adani and his family visited Maha Kumbh and performed Ganga Aarti at the Triveni Sangam.

“My upbringing and our way of doing things are that of a common person from the working class. Jeet, too, is here for Ma Ganga’s blessings. The wedding will be a simple and traditional family affair,” he said.

Instead of making it a grand affair, the couple is spending on causes close to their hearts. The duo has pledged to perform ‘Mangal Seva’ by providing Rs. 10 lakh each for the weddings of 500 women with disabilities every year.

On Wednesday, Jeet and Diva met 21 newlywed women with disabilities and their husbands to launch this initiative.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/inside-picture-from-jeet-adani-and-diva-shahs-wedding-festivity-7654000

A pregnant woman was thrown out of a moving train after she resisted a man’s attempt to rape her in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district on Thursday. The incident took place around 10:30 am when the woman, Revathi (36), was travelling alone from Tiruppur to Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor on the Coimbatore-Tirupati Intercity Express train.

The victim boarded the train with an unreserved ticket around 6:40 am and was seated in the ladies’ coach. At least seven other women were present at that time, officials said. When the train reached Jolarpettai Railway Station around 10:15, all the women got down, leaving the coach empty.

As the train started moving, the accused, Hemaraj (27), boarded the coach. He sat for a while and when he saw the woman was alone, he attempted to rape her. When the victim resisted by kicking him, he threw her out of the moving train, officials added.

The woman sustained injuries on her hands, legs, and head. Officials rushed her to the Vellore Government Hospital for treatment.

She was on her way to her mother’s house when the incident took place, officials said.

Police registered a case based on the woman’s statement and arrested the accused.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pregnant-woman-resists-rape-attempt-thrown-out-of-moving-train-in-tamil-nadu-7654128

The Supreme Court today(January 6) continued hearing two writ petitions filed by the State of Tamil Nadu against Governor Dr. RN Ravi for withholding assent for 12 bills passed by the State assembly.

Since yesterday, a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan has been hearing Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi,Abhishek Manu Singhvi and P Wilson arguing that the Governor’s action is unconstitutional and violation of Article 200. To summarise, they have argued that as per Article 200, the Governor has three options, namely: to assent, to reserve the Bill to send it to the President and to withhold the assent.

Reference has been made to the Punjab judgment, passed by a three-judge bench also comprising Justice Pardiwala, wherein it was held that withholding the assent as per the first proviso of Article 200 means sending it back to the State legislature. That is, the Governor cannot exercise ‘pocket veto’.

Today, the hearing began with Justice Pardiwala informing the lawyers about the eight questions framed by the Court :

1. When the legislative assembly has passed a Bill and presented it to the Governor for assent, but the Governor withholds his assent thereto, and as a result therefore, the legislative assembly passes the Bill again, and presents it to Governor, will it be open for him to reserve the Bill for the consideration of President, more particularly when he did not reserve it for the President when it was present at first instance.

2. Whether the discretion of Governor in reserving a Bill for the President is exercisable upon any Bill or is it limited to certain specified categories, particularly where the subject-matter appears to be beyond the competence of the State legislature or repugnant to a Central law.

3. What considerations weighed with the Governor when he decided to reserve the Bill for consideration by the President?

4. What is the concept of pocket veto?

5. What is the effect of the expression ‘shall declare’ used in the substantive part of Article 200? Can a time period be read in Article 200 in which it is expected for the Governor to pass a declaration?

6. How is Article 200 construed in two scenarios- 6.1 Bill is presented for assent and upon consideration, the Governor returns the Bill together with message requesting to reconsider certain aspects of Bill in terms of first proviso to Article 200 and 6.2 a Bill is presented but upon consideration, the Governor declares he withholds assent and therefore, the legislature passes the Bill and presents it again to the Governor for assent-whether the Governor bound to give assent in both scenarios?

7. When the President directs Governor to return the Bill and the Bill is passed and presented again to the President, in what matter President to act?

8. Is it mandatorily required to assent to the Bill when it is placed before him for reconsideration or is there a constitutional scheme in Article 201 and if yes, how is the silence to be construed?

As for questions seven and eight, all lawyers maintained that it is not necessary to answer that if the Court holds that the reference to the President by the Governor is bad in law and should be set aside.

Pocket veto

On whether the Governor can withhold the assent and not refer it back to the State legislature, Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi argued that the power to withhold simpliciter is not available under Article 200. He termed it as putting the Bills in “cold storage” when the Governor’s position is only ornamental, that is, advisory. Singhvi called it a power to “decide not to decide”.

To this, Justice Pardiwala concurred and added: “Perhaps, what you just submitted makes sense. His[Governor’s] role is advisory because Article 200 says the State legislature can pass [the Bill when referred it back by the Governor] with or without amendment. It is not bound. The primacy lies with the House.”

On this issue, it has been submitted that the issue of pocket veto is covered by the Punjab Governor’s judgment and nothing further has to be deliberated upon it.

In thiat judgment, it was observed that the Governor is bound to send the Bills back to the State legislature: “If the Governor decides to withhold assent under the substantive part of Article 200, the logical course of action is to pursue the course indicated in the first proviso of remitting the Bill to the state legislature for reconsideration. In other words, the power to withhold assent under the substantive part of Article 200 must be read together with the consequential course of action to be adopted by the Governor under the first proviso.”

At many instances during the hearing, including where this question was deliberated upon, Justice Pardiwala asked when was the Punjab judgment pronounced. When he was informed that the judgment was pronounced on November 10, 2023 and, and that the Tamil Nadu Governor endorsed on November 13, 2023 that he was withholding assent, Justice Pardiwala questioned why the Governor was not guided by this dictum.

Can Bills be sent to the President on the second round?

The first, second and sixth question was answered together by the petitioners’ counsel. To briefly summarise their arguments, it has been submitted that the Governor can only send the Bills to the President at first instance as per Article 200. Singhvi submitted that any interpretation otherwise would amount to giving the Governor “additional powers” than what is envisaged. If he says he is withholding assent, he has to send it to the State legislature for reconsideration.

It was argued that when sending for reconsideration, it must be accompanied by a ‘message’ which Dwivedi construed as having 1. application of mind as to why he is sending back 2. disclosure of reasons. Adding to this, Singhvi remarked that this would be “most anti-federal” action if the Governor simply sends it back without specifying why he is sending the Bills back to State legislature.

However, the State legislature, because of its primacy, is not bound to accept the amendments. If the House does not accept the recommendations, and e-enacts the Bill, the Governor is bound to accept it.

Justice Pardiwala however questioned if the Governor is bound to accept even when the law is repugnant. Dwivedi answered that the Governor is neither a “court of law” and nor can he “act as super-legislature”. He also questioned why the mechanical orders sent by the Governor to the President claim both repugnance and intra-vires. “If the law is intra-vires that is the end of the matter.”

However, Singhvi and Rohatgi had different opinions on repugnance. Singhvi argued that there can only be a second round of reference to the President if there is “absolute repugnance”. Whereas, Rohatgi argued that it is the State that initiates the second reference and asks the Governor to send it to the President. He said: “You require presidential assent for Article 254. If the State wants to frame repugnant law, it will be hit by Article 254. But nevertheless, the legislature sends it to the Governor and the Governor sends it to the President, the latter take advice of the Union Parliament…That is, sending a repugnant law to the President can only be under aid and advice of the [Council of Minsiters].”

However, Justice Pardiwala questioned if this wouldn’t be an “empty formality” on the part of the Governor.

On the issue whether the Governor can exercise the discretion of sending to the Governor, all counsels argued that those instances are “expressed” in the Constitution and are limited in nature. For instance, in Article 356, the Governor sends a report to the President seeking a Presidential proclamation.

What weighed with the Governor?

While Singhvi said that the only reason why which weighed with the Governor is “legislative incompetence,” this issue was not discussed at length. When Attorney General R. Venkataramani began his arguments after lunch, the Court again and again emphasised that they want to see what convinced the Governor.

What is something so gross in the bills which the Governor took 3 years to find?…Mr Attorney, either show us from the original files some contemporaneous records to connect saying he withheld assent that weighed with them, you cannot just file affidavit for it…Except one letter from Secretary. Tomorrow we want to see this. Today, we are called upon to interpret Article 200. On the factual aspect, show us why Governor decided to withhold the assent. Keep in mind, we delivered the Punjab judgment on November 10 and on November 13, the Governor endorses that he has withhold assent. Otherwise, on November 13, the Governor had a three-judges bench judgment for some guidance “ Justice Pardiwala asked.

It should be noted that on November 28, 2023, the Governor sent the re-enacted laws to the President. The Court also stated that it would clarify the “factual” error, if any, on the issue of whether the Bill was not sent back for reenactment. AG Venkataramani on several occasions submitted that the Bill was returned stating that the Governor is withholding assent and was not returned to the assembly for reconsideration. Today, he also questioned if the Governor can expected to write an “essay” on why he is returning the Bill.

Attorney General said that it was merely “coincidence” that the Governor withheld the assent soon after the Supreme Court’s Punjab Governor case verdict.

He also added: “…if the Governor says he is sending it to the President giving certain details of repugnancy, the mere statement of law, that repugnancy is evident to me, and that to, I leave it in the hands of the President to deal with that. All that is argued is that the Governor, even if he perceived repugnancy, go a little beyond that and write an essay on repugnancy..”

On this, Justice Pardiwala responded: “You will have to show us the repugnancy. In the name of repugnancy, you cannot [withhold assent]. From the materials on record, you have to show us from objective satisfaction, based on this material, that he arrived at the decision.”

Time period in which assent has to be given

Here, Singhvi emphasised that even in cases such as land acquisition laws where a timeframe is not given, the Court had read it as a reasonable time. He made an analogy between the Speaker’s power under the Tenth Schedule to decide defection petitions to the Governor’s power under Article 200.

Referring to Keisham Meghachandra Singh judgment, where the Court fixed an outer limit of 3 months for the Speaker to decide disqualification, Singhvi said that the Court can read such time-limits even when the Constitution is expressly silent.

Source : https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/governor-cant-pocket-veto-bills-anti-federal-to-return-bills-without-giving-reasons-tamil-nadu-govt-to-supreme-court-283195

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, asked the Congress party to focus on its improvement instead of harming the prospects of others. PM Modi said that Congress tried to destabilise the elected government of the countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the discussion in Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address on Thursday.
“The mantra of Congress politics has always been to shorten the lines of others…because of this they destabilized governments. If any political party formed a government anywhere, they destabilized it. Because of this path they have chosen, even those who were with them after the Lok Sabha elections are running away,” said PM Modi in Rajya Sabha.

The BJP-led Union government is working on the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, PM Modi said as he accused the Congress of practising appeasement politics to get votes. He said that Congress’ priority was “family first” and its policies had been focused around it.

Attacking the Congress over Emergency, PM Modi said, “During Nehru ji’s tenure as the PM, a workers strike was held in Mumbai. During that strike, the famous poet Majrooh Sultanpuri recited a poet. After this, he was put in jail. Famous actor Balraj Sahni was also jailed only because he participated in a protest demonstration at the time. Hridaynath Mangeshkar Ji, brother of Lata MangeshkarJi, had written a poem on Veer Savarkar and wanted to sing it on Akashvani but was banned from Akashvani for life,” PM Modi said during his address.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pm-modis-blunt-advice-to-congress-in-rajya-sabha-apni-lakeer-lambi-kariye-article-117981912

Following major pollsters releasing their predictions for the Delhi Assembly elections, with the majority of them predicting a clear majority for the BJP, former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal leveled serious allegations against the saffron party.

Kejriwal, taking to X on Thursday, stated that some agencies are predicting over 55 seats for the “gali galauj party.”

“In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received phone calls urging them to leave the AAP and join their party, promising ministerial positions and ₹15 crore each,” alleged the former Delhi CM.

“If their party is truly winning more than 55 seats, why do they need to call our candidates?” he questioned.

Dismissing the exit polls, Kejriwal said, “Clearly, these fake surveys have been conducted only to create an atmosphere where some candidates can be lured away. But to those using abusive tactics—none of our people will break away!”

Pollster Pradip Gupta’s agency, Axis My India, on Thursday came out with its exit poll for the Delhi Assembly Elections, a day after the majority of pollsters released their predictions on Wednesday, shortly after polling concluded.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/16-candidates-offered-15-crores-arvind-kejriwal-drops-big-bombshell-ahead-of-delhi-poll-results

At least nine people fell ill after consuming grilled chicken at a restaurant at Chinnakadai Street in Madurai’s Sholavandan area, raising questions over food safety standard in eateries.

According to reports the incident occurred on the evening of February 4. According to the Deputy Director of Health Services, out of the nine affected individuals, four were admitted to the Sholavandan Government Hospital, while the remaining five, who had mild diarrhoea, were taken to the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai.

Two of them were discharged after receiving treatment at Sholavandan Hospital, while the others continue to receive medical care.

The Food Safety Department officials and police have launched a detailed investigation, and as part of initial probe, have penalised the restaurant for hygiene violations.

Chicken-Related Health Issues In Past

This is not the first time that the food served at a restaurant caused health issues. In November last year, a 19-year-old girl died and 11 others fell ill after eating at a restaurant in Nirmal, Telangana.

According to reports, the group had dined at Grill Nine Multi-Cuisine Restaurant in AN Reddy Colony, ordering Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken 65, and Tandoori Chicken.

In the same month, a 23-year-old consumed chicken biryani at a restaurant in Hyderabad’s Neredmet, following which he was admitted to a hospital with symptoms including severe vomiting, diarrhoea, and high temperature.

In October, as many as 13 youth were admitted to hospital in Visakhapatnam after suffering severe vomiting and stomach. They had consumed chicken biryani and barbeque chicken wings in a noted restaurant at Gajuwaka.

In May 2024, three people fell sick after eating chicken rice at a fast-food restaurant near the bus stand in Namakkal town of Tamil Nadu. The food safety department had sealed the eatery after the incident.

Even though chicken is considered a nutritious choice when cooked, the raw chicken or undercooked chicken can make you ill.

When Does ‘Healthy Food Choice’ Cause Illness?

According to US government’s official health website, raw chicken can be contaminated with Campylobacter, Salmonella, or Clostridium perfringens germs. If you eat undercooked chicken, you can get a foodborne illness, also called food poisoning.

In America, the government estimates say that Salmonella causes more foodborne illnesses than any other bacteria. Chicken is a major source of these illnesses. In fact, about 1 in every 25 packages of chicken at the grocery store are contaminated with Salmonella.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/tamil-nadu-news-today-madurai-grilled-chicken-nine-people-ill-correct-way-to-eat-non-veg-9216464.html

Parineeti Chopra, who is currently occupied with shooting commitments, shared a cryptic post on her Instagram amid the wedding festivities of her cousin Siddharth Chopra, Priyanka Chopra’s brother. The post read, “We’re really on borrowed time. Choose people that choose you, and let everyone else be.”

While Priyanka attended the celebrations in Mumbai, turning heads with her dazzling floral gown and signature glamour, Parineeti’s absence did not go unnoticed. The actress’ parents, however, were seen enjoying the wedding functions alongside Priyanka, Madhu Chopra and Mannara Chopra.

Fans have been curious about Parineeti’s absence, with speculation mounting that her ongoing project has kept her away. Recent posts on her Instagram show glimpses from the sets of her next film, suggesting a packed work schedule.

Interestingly, Priyanka’s husband, actor-singer Nick Jonas, was also notably missing from the festivities. Priyanka, nonetheless, made a grand entry at the wedding alongside her in-laws, Kevin Sr. and Denise Jonas, who complemented the occasion in elegant ethnic attire.

The intimate wedding ceremony follows Siddharth Chopra’s engagement to actress Neelam Upadhyaya in August 2024. The family event saw close relatives and friends coming together to celebrate the union. Priyanka, despite her demanding schedule, flew in from Hyderabad to be part of the special occasion. She is currently working on the highly anticipated film SSMB29 with superstar Mahesh Babu, directed by S.S. Rajamouli.

Source : https://www.news18.com/movies/parineeti-chopra-shares-cryptic-post-amid-priyanka-chopras-brothers-wedding-choose-people-9216218.html

Ed Sheeran’s Chennai concert became a night to remember when the pop icon called legendary composer AR Rahman on stage, leaving fans in awe. The unexpected collaboration saw the duo performing a captivating mashup of Sheeran’s global hit Shape of You and Rahman’s classic Urvasi Urvasi.

As Ed played the catchy beats of Shape of You, Rahman took over with the iconic chorus of Urvasi Urvasi, creating an electrifying fusion. The crowd erupted in cheers as the two musical powerhouses harmonized, seamlessly blending their styles. Sheeran later returned to his hit track.

Before the concert, Ed Sheeran met AR Rahman and his son AR Ameen. Rahman took to Instagram to share candid pictures of their meeting. One snapshot captured the three sitting on a couch, while another featured Rahman working at his music console as Sheeran snapped a photo. “Photos by Ed Sheeran,” Rahman humorously credited the images in his caption.

Fans quickly flooded the comments section, expressing excitement and hoping for a potential collaboration between the two music legends.

Sheeran’s Chennai performance was part of his six-city India tour for The Mathematics series, which kicked off in Pune on January 30. The opening act featured singer-actor Dot., best known for her role in The Archies. The British sensation then headed to Hyderabad, where he performed at Ramoji Film City on February 2 with singer Armaan Malik opening the show.

Source : https://www.news18.com/movies/ed-sheeran-sings-urvasi-urvasi-with-ar-rahman-during-his-chennai-concert-crowd-goes-wild-watch-9216307.html

Jeet Adani, the son of industrialist Gautam Adani, is set to marry Diva Shah on February 7. In a heartwarming gesture, the Adani family has pledged ‘Mangal Seva’, with the aim of benefiting 500 newlywed women with disabilities every year, by giving them financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each. Ahead of his wedding, Jeet personally met 21 beneficiary couples, marking the start of this impactful program designed to support women with disabilities and their families.

Gautam Adani expressed his joy on X, stating, “It is a matter of immense joy that my son Jeet and daughter-in-law Diva are starting their married life with a holy resolution.”
He went on to share that Jeet and Diva have pledged to support the marriage of 500 disabled women annually, offering financial assistance of ₹10 lakhs for each woman. “Jeet and Diva have pledged to do ‘Mangal Seva’ by providing financial assistance of Rs. 10 lakhs for each sister in the marriage of 500 handicapped sisters every year,” he wrote.

Gautam further expressed his personal pride in the initiative: “As a father, this ‘Mangal Seva’ is a matter of immense satisfaction and good fortune for me. I have full faith that through this sacred effort, the lives of many disabled daughters and their families will move forward with happiness, peace and respect.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/jeet-adanis-wedding-gift-mangal-seva-to-provide-rs-10-lakh-for-500-brides-every-year-article-117950437

The Pune civic body has sealed 19 private RO plants in the Nanded village area, the epicentre of the GBS outbreak, after tests confirmed that the water from these facilities was unfit for drinking, officials said on Wednesday.

During the day, four fresh cases of suspected Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare nerve disorder, were reported in Pune district, taking the overall tally in Maharashtra to 170, they said.

The now-sealed privately owned reverse-osmosis (RO) plants, located in the Dhayari-Nanded area, supplied bottled water to a large number of people in the vicinity.

Following the crackdown, the water supply department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) announced plans to formulate standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the distribution of contaminated water in the area.

“During the investigation of the water samples collected from some privately run RO plants, it was found that the water from 19 such RO plants operating in the Nanded and adjoining area, was unfit for drinking.

Accordingly, all these 19 RO plants were sealed and their functioning has been stopped,” said Prithviraj P B, additional commissioner of PMC.

Meanwhile, Nandkishor Jagtap, head of the PMC’s water supply department said they found Escherichia coli bacteria in the samples collected from these 19 RO plants.

In the wake of the discovery of E.coli, private water suppliers have been asked to use the bleaching powder solution provided by the PMC to ensure that the bacteria is contained, he said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/amid-gbs-outbreak-pune-civic-body-seals-19-private-ro-water-plants-3391577

The condition of Mahant Satyendra Das (85), the chief priest of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, remains critical but is showing some signs of improvement, according to a statement released by Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) on Wednesday.

He was admitted to the hospital on Sunday after suffering a brain stroke.

SGPGI’s statement said while Das, who has diabetes and hypertension, remains in the Neurology ICU, his condition has not worsened. A repeat CT scan showed no significant changes from the previous scan. Doctors are monitoring his condition closely.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/ram-temple-head-priest-remains-critical-after-stroke-some-signs-of-improvement-hospital-3391474

The electoral fate of 699 candidates in the Delhi Assembly elections were sealed on Wednesday as at least 60 per cent of 1.56 crore voters exercised their franchise to choose their government either from ruling AAP or BJP.

The voting took place between 7 am and 6 pm in 70 constituencies, without major incidents though leaders and workers keeping a vigil on polling booths accused each other of malpractices.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among the VIPs who exercised their franchise in the capital. Kejriwal came to vote with his family, including his ageing parents.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar also voted in the capital with their families. Kumar said everyone has worked very hard for the smooth conduct of polls.

AAP levelled allegations of the BJP distributing money, police preventing voters from reaching polling stations and election officers turning their eyes away from irregularities to help its rivals. The Election Commission and police denied all allegations.

A BJP leader’s allegation that people wearing burqas were attempting fraudulent voting led to high drama in Seelampur but police denied the allegations. Congress alleged that both AAP and BJP committed “blatant violations” of Model Code of Conduct while the EC “watched in silence”.

At 12 midnight, the Voter Turnout app of the EC showed a voting percentage of 60.44 per cent with six – East Delhi, North-East Delhi, Northwest Delhi, Shahdara, Southwest Delhi and West Delhi – of the 11 districts showing a turnout of over 60 per cent.

All five constituencies in the Northeast district together polled 66.25 per cent while the Southeast district with seven seats polled the least at 56.31 per cent.

In 2020, Delhi had recorded 62.59 per cent voter turnout when AAP won 62 seats and the rest eight were bagged by the BJP. The final voting percentage for this election would be known only by Thursday.

Among the constituencies, Mustafabad polled the maximum of 69 per cent while the least was in Karol Bagh at 47.4 per cent. There were 42 constituencies that had over 60 per cent polling, which included Babarpur, Badli, Chhattarpur, Mundka, Palam, Rohini, Rajinder Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Seelampur, Seemapuri, Uttam Nagar, Mangolpuri, Dwarka, Matiala and Rajouri Garden.

New Delhi seat where Kejriwal is locked in a keen contest against BJP’s Parvesh Verma and Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit polled 56.41 per cent while Kalkaji where Atishi is seeking reelection saw a turnout of 54.59 per cent. Jangpura, where the former Deputy Chief Minister is fighting, polled 57.42 per cent.

Posh areas of Greater Kailash, where Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj was contesting, also did not cross 60 per cent mark as it settled for 54.5 per cent.

AAP and BJP exuded confidence that they would win the electoral battle while Congress leaders claimed they would see a better performance while hoping to win a couple of seats. The outcome could also have a bearing on the future of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc as top leaders of the Congress had gone on an offensive against Kejriwal and AAP.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/elections/delhi/delhi-assembly-elections-2025-fate-of-699-candidates-sealed-results-on-february-8-3391673

Long-haul flights to South America, violent seas in tottery boats, hikes through treacherous terrain, dark cells at the US-Mexico border and a deportation flight back to India – the promise of an American dream fell flat for 104 Indian migrants who returned to India after US President Donald Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration.

Harvinder Singh, a native of Punjab’s Tahli village in Hoshiarpur district, said he was promised a work visa in the US by agent whom he paid Rs 42 lakh. At the last minute, Singh was told the visa did not come through and was later put on consecutive flights from Delhi till Qatar and then Brazil. “In Brazil, I was told I will be put on a flight from Peru, but there was no such flight. Then taxis took us further to Colombia and further to the beginning of Panama. From there, I was told a ship will transport us, but there was no ship either. This is where our donkey route, which lasted two days, began,” he told reporters.

After walking through a mountainous route, Singh and the migrants accompanying him were sent in a small boat into the deep sea towards the Mexico border. In the four-hour sea journey, the boat carrying them capsized, leading to the death of one of the persons accompanying him. Another died in the Panama jungle. All this while, they survived on meagre portions of rice.

Darapur village’s Sukhpal Singh also faced a similar ordeal, travelling 15 hours by sea route, and walking 40-45 kilometres through hills that were flanked by deep-treacherous valleys. “If someone got injured, they were left to die. We saw many bodies on the way,” he said. The journey bore no fruit, as the Jalandhar district native was arrested in Mexico, just before he could cross the border to enter the US. “We were lodged in a dark cell for 14 days, and we never saw the sun. There are thousands of Punjabi boys, families and children in similar circumstances,” he said, appealing to people to not try moving abroad through wrong routes.

A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal immigrants from various states landed in Amritsar on Wednesday, the first such batch of Indians deported by the Donald Trump government. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chandigarh, sources told PTI. Nineteen women and 13 minors, including a four-year-old boy and two girls, aged five and seven, were among the deportees, they said.

Among them was Jaspal Singh, who claimed that their hands and legs were cuffed throughout the journey and they were unshackled only after landing at the Amritsar airport. He had been assured by a travel agent that he would be sent to the US in a legal way, with the price pegged at Rs 30 lakh. He was taken to Brazil, where he stayed for six months, before being captured by the US Border Patrol on January 24.

Kanubhai Patel, whose daughter is among the deportees, claimed she had gone to Europe for a vacation with her friends a month ago. “I have no idea what she planned after reaching Europe. The last time we talked with her was January 14. We have no idea how she reached the US,” said Patel, a resident of Chandranagar-Dabhla village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district.

Family members of the illegal immigrants from Punjab said they took huge loans to facilitate their travel to America hoping for a bright future but now face crushing debt. They now seek strict action against those agents.

“We sold whatever little we had and borrowed money on high interest to pay the agent, hoping for a better future. But he (agent) deceived us. Now, not only has my husband been deported we are also left with a huge debt,” Harvinder Singh’s wife Kuljinder Kaur told PTI.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/walked-45-kilometres-saw-dead-bodies-on-the-way-indians-deported-from-us-7645107#pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A hunting expedition by a group of villagers went fatally wrong as one of them was shot dead by some other members, who allegedly mistook him for a wild boar in a forest area in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, police said on Wednesday.

One person was injured in the incident that took place in the night of January 28, they said, adding that at least six men have been detained in this connection.

Palghar’s Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Abhijit Dharashivkar said the group of villagers had ventured into Borsheti forest area at Manor in the district for hunting of wild boars.

“During the expedition, some villagers got separated from the group. After some time, one of the hunters mistook them for wild boars and opened fire, hitting two villagers. One of them died on the spot, while the other sustained serious injuries,” he said.

Shocked and panicked by the accidental killing, the group dragged the deceased person’s body into the bushes and hid it instead of reporting about the incident to the police, he said.

“After receiving a tip-off, the police conducted a probe and detained six villagers suspected to be involved in the crime. After an extensive search on Wednesday, the authorities recovered the highly decomposed body of the victim and sent it for a postmortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of the death,” Dharashivkar said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/man-mistaken-to-be-wild-animal-shot-dead-by-hunting-expedition-group-7643303

The 104 Indians deported from the US were “handcuffed and their legs were chained” during their long fight back home. They were sent back in a US military C-17 Globemaster aircraft and not a chartered flight, making it the first known instance of the US deploying a military aircraft to send deported immigrants from India back home.
The deportees claim they were shackled throughout the flight. However, top sources have contradicted their version, stating they were not handcuffed.
The flight landed in Punjab’s Amritsar Wednesday afternoon, grounding the ‘American dream’ of those onboard. Out of the 104 repatriated Indians, 99 are from Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.

The arrivals in Amritsar included 25 women and 13 children. The state-wise break-up based on multiple reports is: Haryana 35, Gujarat 33, Punjab 31, three from UP and 2 from Maharashtra, TOI reported.

“Some of them said barring the kids, they were made to wear handcuffs during the flight. I can’t confirm it, though,” a Punjab government official told TOI.

The Union government has not ruled out more deportation flights from the US. The administration said that all repatriated citizens whose antecedents had been verified would be “accepted back”.
Asked why a military aircraft was used to send deported immigrants from India back home, a US embassy spokesperson only said the military was supporting the new Trump administration’s efforts to expedite the removal of illegal migrants globally. When illegal Indian immigrants were last deported in Oct 2024, US authorities had used a charter flight.
Several of the deportees were picked up “at the US-Mexico border about 10 days ago”. Some said they travelled to the US from the UK.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/how-deported-indians-were-sent-back-home-in-us-military-aircraft-handcuffed-and-legs-chained-article-117964868

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya has submitted before the Karnataka High Court that the Rs 6,200 crore debt he owes to banks has been recovered “multiple times over,” and sought a statement of accounts detailing the amounts recovered from him, United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL, now in liquidation), and other certificate debtors.

The High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to banks in response to the petition filed by fugitive businessman on February 3.

Justice R Devdas directed the banks to respond by February 13.

Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, representing Mallya, argued that the winding-up order against Kingfisher Airlines and its holding company, UBHL, had been upheld at all judicial levels, including the Supreme Court.

He contended the debts had already been recovered, yet additional recovery proceedings continued against Mallya.

Poovaiah informed the court that a debt recovery tribunal (DRT) had ordered Kingfisher Airlines, as the primary debtor, and UBHL, as the guarantor, to pay Rs 6,200 crore.

“That order attained finality. However, between 2017 and now, the Rs 6,200 crore has been recovered multiple times over. According to an admitted statement, as of today, the recovery officer confirms that Rs 10,200 crore has been recovered. Additionally, the official liquidator states that the banks have regained their dues, and even the Finance Minister informed Parliament that Rs 14,000 crore has been recovered,” he stated.

He clarified that the petition does not dispute the repayment of loans, but argues that under the Companies Act, once the debt is fully repaid, the guarantor company (UBHL) has no remaining liability and can seek revival.

However, this process requires a certification from the recovery officer confirming that the debt has been fully settled, which has not yet been issued. Meanwhile, recoveries continue without clarity on whether the primary debt has been entirely paid.

The plea requests the banks to provide a statement detailing the amounts recovered in their favour, along with information about the original owners of the assets used to generate these recoveries, following the amended recovery certificate issued by the DRT on April 10, 2017.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/vijay-mallya-says-rs-6200-crore-debt-recovered-multiple-times-in-submission-to-karnataka-hc-9215985.html

A 13-year-old schoolgirl was sexually assaulted by three teachers in a government school in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district.

All three accused have been sent to a 15-day police remand after being arrested on Wednesday under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

“A 13-year-old girl student was allegedly sexually assaulted by three teachers at a government middle school in Krishnagiri district. The three teachers have been suspended by the District Education Officer (DEO) and arrested under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The accused teachers have been sent to police remand for 15 days,” ANI quoted Krishnagiri collector C Dinesh Kumar as saying.

According to police, the crime took place inside the restroom of the school on January 2.

A senior police official who was aware of the matter informed that the incident came to light on February 2, a full month after the alleged crime took place when the student’s parents informed the headmaster about the assault.

After getting the information, the district education officer (DEO) and the child helpline initiated action against the teachers.

“Based on the complaint lodged by the survivor’s parents, the three accused teachers have been suspended and arrested under various sections of the POCSO Act,” he added.

The Anna University case

Late last year, the Kotturpuram police in Tamil Nadu arrested 37-year-old Gnanasekaran, a biryani hawker, the lone accused in the Anna University case. He had trespassed into the university and allegedly assaulted a second-year student.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/3-teachers-held-for-sexually-assaulting-13-year-old-schoolgirl-in-tamil-nadu-sent-for-15-day-remand-101738813122339.html

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in collaboration with the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), has launched the TruthTell Hackathon. The innovative competition aims at developing AI-powered solutions to combat misinformation in live broadcasting journalism.
This hackathon is part of the Create in India Challenge (CIC) – Season 1, under the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025. With a prize pool of Rs10 lakh, the challenge invites developers, data scientists, and media professionals to create real-time misinformation detection and fact-checking tools.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, misinformation spreads rapidly, particularly during live broadcasts. The initiative seeks to address this issue by enhancing trust and transparency in media reporting through AI-driven verification systems.

Massive Interest & Women’s Participation

The Hackathon has already received an overwhelming response, with over 5,600 registrations from across the globe, including an impressive 36% participation from women.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj on Wednesday and at around 11 am, he will take a holy dip at the Sangam, his office said in a statement.
Maha Kumbh 2025, which commenced on January 13, is the world’s largest spiritual and cultural gathering, attracting devotees from across the globe. The Maha Kumbh will continue until Mahashivratri on February 26.
Prime Minister Modi will visit Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj on February 5, it said. At around 11 am, he will take a holy dip at the Sangam and offer prayers to Maa Ganga. However, there has been no official word if the Prime Minister take a dip at the Sangam nose.

PM Modi earlier visited Prayagraj in December last year when he inaugurated 167 development projects worth Rs 5,500 crore, improving connectivity, amenities and services for the general public.

Security Tighetend After Kumbh Stampede

Security has been tightened in the Mela region for Prime Minister Modi’s visit. The Uttar Pradesh government had reinforced security and crowd management measures after the Mauni Amavasya stampede. At least 30 people were killed and 60 others injured in a stampede that broke out at the Maha Kumbh Mela on January 29.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been personally inspecting preparations and security management as additional personnel, medical staff, and resources have been deployed to ensure a ‘zero-error’ at the fair.

30 Killed In Kumbh Stampede

The pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area of the Maha Kumbh broke out as millions of pilgrims jostled for space to take a holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, the stampede-like situation happened at the Kumbh Mela because the crowd gathered ahead of time for the snan and broke barriers.
Following the unfortunate incident, the third ‘Amrit Snan’ on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami was held amid a tight vigil.

SC Rejects Plea On Kumbh Stampede

The Supreme Court on Monday, February 3, rejected a plea seeking action against Uttar Pradesh government officials over the Maha Kumbh Stampede. Referring to the stampede as “unfortunate”, the Supreme Court rejected the plea and asked the petitioner to approach the High Court instead.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pm-modi-to-visit-maha-kumbh-take-holy-dip-at-sangam-today-article-117930869

TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday said that non-vegetarian food items must be banned nationwide while acknowledging the regional differences in India that make implementing such a rule challenging.

He used this as an example to underscore the difficulties in enforcing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) across the country. However, he praised the successful implementation of the common law in Uttarakhand.

“Not just beef, but non-veg food in general must be banned in the country. The governments have banned beef in many places, but in several areas, it’s still legal. People can eat it openly in the Northeast, but not in North India,” the TMC lawmaker said.

The rules which can be imposed in North India cannot be imposed in the Northeastern states, he added.

“In a similar way, there are many fine prints and loopholes in the UCC. An all-party meeting must be held before drafting UCC provisions,” Sinha remarked.

In a historic move, Uttarakhand became the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), effective from January 27.

The Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Act, 2024, will streamline various personal laws, including those related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.

Gujarat Inches Closer To UCC

Sinha’s remark came as Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday announced setting up a five-member panel to prepare the draft for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and make the law.

“A five-member committee under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai has been constituted,” he said while addressing a press conference.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/shatrughan-sinha-wants-ban-on-non-vegetarian-food-across-india-praises-ucc-of-uttarakhand-9214847.html

Days after a woman was detected with ‘fetus in fetu’, an extremely rare condition, two fetuses were removed successfully post-delivery from her three-day-old child’s abdomen in Amravati district of Maharashtra on Tuesday, doctors said.

The 32-year-old woman from Buldhana district was detected with the rare congenital anomaly, in which a malformed fetus is located within the body of another fetus, last month when she underwent sonography as part of regular health check-up.

The woman delivered a baby boy on February 1 at Buldhana Women’s Hospital. Subsequently, she and the child were shifted to a super specialty government hospital in Amravati district where a team of doctors operated upon the newborn to remove two fetuses from his stomach, they said.

The boy was operated under the supervision of Dr Usha Gajbhiye at Amravati Divisional Hospital.

Talking to reporters, Dr Gajbhiye said there were two twins like fetuses with hands and legs in the stomach of the three-day-old child.

The fetuses were removed successfully during the operation and the baby and mother were doing well, she said.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Buldhana hospital, Dr Prasad Agarwal, who conducted sonography on the woman when she was 35-week pregnant, told reporters last Tuesday that ‘fetus in fetu’ is one of the rarest medical conditions, occurring one in five lakh cases.

Only about 200 such cases have been reported (across the world) till now, that, too, after delivery, including 10-15 cases in India, he had said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/2-fetuses-successfully-removed-from-newborns-abdomen-in-maharashtra-7634759

An Indian man, who illegally entered Bangladesh, was shot by the Border Security Forces (BSF) at the border while he was returning to India on Tuesday. The man, identified as Akhtar Jamal Roni, had entered Bangladesh to attend a religious function on Monday, officials said.

According to the BSF Tripura Frontier, Roni was accompanied by a woman.

The security forces first saw the duo approaching the border fence from the Bangladesh side. Despite multiple warnings from the officials, they attempted to breach the fencing and engaged in a fight with the security guards. The two even tried to snatch one of the official’s Pump Action Gun (PAG), officials said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-man-who-illegally-entered-bangladesh-to-attend-event-shot-at-border-7636829

Election for the 70 assembly seats of Delhi, crucial for Arvind Kejriwal in view of the massive corruption allegations against him and his government, are being held today. The triangular contest is between the ruling AAP, BJP and the Congress.

Here are the top 8 points in this story:

1.  Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party has swept the last two elections. But since then, the government has been facing huge corruption allegations in connection with a now-scrapped liquor policy.
2. The BJP is hoping for victory this time, powered by huge rallies led by PM Modi and an early start from its mammoth election machinery. After 10 years in Delhi’s political fringes, the Congress is also hoping for a comeback.
3. Mr Kejriwal and several of his ministers, including his closest aide Manish Sisodia, had been in jail for months and the AAP chief had to step down from the Chief Minister’s post, leaving Atishi in charge. He, however, took a moral high ground, saying he would be back in the top post only after a “certificate of honesty” from the people.
4. The AAP government has also been hamstrung owing to its repeated face-offs with the Lieutenant Governor over multiple issues.
5. Despite the clear decision of the Supreme Court that the elected government has all the power and the LG has a say in only three specific areas – land, public order and the police- the Union government gave the LG power over bureaucrats with an Ordinance.
6. The arrest of Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal were also spurred by the Lieutenant Governor’s clearance of a probe into the liquor scam. Mr Kejriwal was arrested in March last year and spent almost six months in jail. Manish Sisodia was in jail for 17 months.
7. Several other AAP ministers and leaders including Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain and Amanatullah Khan were also arrested under various allegations. The corruption allegations have been crucial for AAP, which came to power on the wings of the anti-corruption crusade of noted Gandhian Anna Hazare.
8. AAP, which pulled the plug on its alliance government with the Congress just after 48 days during its first stint, won the 2015 election after Mr Kejriwal apologised to the people of Delhi and sought another chance, promising that he would stay on for full five years.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/govt-introduces-truthtell-hackathon-to-fight-misinformation-in-live-broadcasting-article-117913852

Seoni (MP): A sub-adult tigress and a wild boar fell into a well after a chase by the predator went wrong in the buffer area of the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district on Tuesday, a senior forest department official said.

After a four-hour-long operation, the tigress, aged around three years, and the wild boar were safely rescued from the well by the forest department using a hydraulic machine, he said.

The incident occurred near Hardua village in the Khawasa buffer area when the tigress went after her prey, a wild boar, the reserve’s deputy director, Rajnish Kumar Singh, said.

The hunting chase went wrong and the tigress slipped into the well. The wild boar also ended up in the same water body while trying to escape the attack, he said.

After the tigress was spotted struggling in the water, a cot was lowered into the well with the help of a rope and the wild animal sat on it, Singh said.

A rescue team put a cage into the well with a hydraulic crane and captured the tigress safely. The wild boar was also rescued in the same way, he said.

Around 60 rescuers were involved in the operation to save the two wild animals, informed the PTR deputy director.

SOURCE : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/madhya-pradesh/tigress-pounces-on-wild-boar-both-fall-into-well-in-pench-reserve-3388903

The Supreme Court on Tuesday took exception to the failure by the States of Telangana and Punjab and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for failing to respond to a public interest litigation petition seeking enforcement of the Right to Education Act [Md. Imran Ahmad v. Union of India].

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sanjay Karol and Sandeep Mehta said that the failure by the Union Territory and the two States in filing their reply was delaying the hearing in the case.

“Despite service of notice, no one has entered appearance on behalf of three States i.e. State of Telangana, State of Punjab and State of Jammu & Kashmir. Neither responses nor counter affidavits have been filed by them. They have not even filed their responses whereas rest others States have already filed their responses. The matter is being delayed due to non-filing of responses of these three States,” the Court stated.

Hence, it cautioned the that Chief Secretaries will have to be present for the next hearing if no responses are filed by then.

“We direct the Chief Secretaries of the concerned States to remain present on the next date, in case no response is filed by the said States. In case the response is filed and States are duly represented, the presence of the Chief Secretaries would not be necessary,” the order said.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/supreme-court-cautions-telangana-punjab-jk-failing-respond-pil-rte-act

Authorities have banned begging in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal and warned of penal action against those found involved in it as well as people who give alms.

The state’s Indore district has already banned begging.

Bhopal district collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh prohibited begging in an order issued on Monday evening under section 163 (2) of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita.

Several beggars, seeking alms at traffic signals, have been found involved in criminal activities and drug-addiction. Their presence at the traffic signals also creates the fear of accidents, the order noted.

It said begging and offering alms has been completely banned in the entire Bhopal district.

“Legal action will be taken against the person who gives anything in the form of alms to beggars or buys any goods from them,” the order stated.

Cases will be registered under relevant legal provisions against those who violate the administration’s prohibitory order against begging, it said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/madhya-pradesh/after-indore-begging-giving-alms-banned-in-bhopal-3388080

Akash Bobba, a 22-year-old Indian-origin techie is in the news after reports surfaced that claimed that he was hired by Elon Musk to be a part of recently formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).Bobba has also received flak for lacking the necessary experience to be handling such a high-profile job. Notably, Tesla CEO Musk hired six engineers between 19 and 24 years old who will now have unrestricted access to classified government systems.
Though Bobba may lack extensive experience, he makes up for it with an impressive resume, having worked at several major Silicon Valley firms before joining Musk’s DOGE.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in an exclusive interview with Navika Kumar, Times Network Group Editor-in-Chief addressed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that he had suggested the idea of tax relief to the government. Sitharaman firmly rejected the claim during the interview. “Delhi ke chunav ke liye, poore desh ke liye main 1 lakh crore ka income forego karun kya? Nahin,” said Sitharaman. She said that the proposal was driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to honouring taxpayers, and not by any political considerations.

“PM Modi ji ka taxpayer ko samman karne ke liye ye proposal lekar aye hum. Usme Kejriwal ji toh “10 lakh tak de dijiye” bola. But we gave Rs 12 lakh,” Sitharaman retorted.
Taking a jibe at Kejriwal, she said,”He was in IRS before. Couldn’t he get that figure right?”

When asked about claims from BJP leaders who said that the tax rebate was for Delhi, Sitharaman said, “The tax rebate will be available to all taxpayers, including those from Delhi. Did we say it’s only for Delhi? No, we didn’t. Did we say Delhi people are excluded from relief? No, we didn’t. The tax rebate is for everyone.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/arvind-kejriwal-ki-baat-woh-khud-nahi-maante-sitharaman-dismisses-delhi-polls-connection-to-tax-relief-article-117890061

A video of Mamta Kulkarni’s appearance on Aap Ki Adalat has gone viral on social media, showing the former actress getting emotional over not being allowed to take ‘snan’ during Maha Kumbh. In the clip, Mamta – who was appointed as Mahamandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhara by Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi amid much controversy – can be heard saying, “Maine kaha.. ‘Main Mahakali hoon. Jis snan me aap dubki maar rahe ho woh main hi hoon.'”

Seeming to explain how she was not allowed to take the ‘snan’, Mamta said, “Phir maine kaha chalo mera snan nahi ho pa raha, kam se kam mujhe yehi bata do mujhe chai milega. Phir unhone bola mujhe ki chai wala snan lene gaya. Toh Prachand Chandika aur bhadak gayi.. Laashein gir padi thi wahan pe. Ye main nahi chahti thi, lekin woh bardasht hi nahi kar payi ki chai wale ja sakte hain snan ke liye, toh itna toh maine koi bure karm nahi kiye, 23 saal se toh tapasya kar rahi thi, agar mera sthaan nahi hai snan ke liye, toh woh bhi nahi samajh pa rahi honge.”
The video quickly sparked reactions online, with many users questioning its context.

“Loop mein 3 baar dekha… kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai!!! What’s her problem? That the tea guy could take a shower before she did, or that she didn’t get to drink tea?” one user commented.

Another wrote, “And just to be sure, the next destination is Bigg Boss. All this drama these bhandwood agents do by demeaning our Hindu religion…”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/next-stop-is-bigg-boss-mamta-kulkarnis-main-mahakali-hu-video-clip-is-viral-article-117892270

A vast crowd of devotees bathed at the Triveni Sangam in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Basant Panchami, marking the peaceful conclusion of the third ‘Amrit Snan’ during the Mahakumbh Mela.(HT_PRINT)

Over 2.57 crore participated in the holy bathing rituals till 8 pm, according to the Uttar Pradesh government. 13 akharas carried out processions, each within a 40 minute window.(HT_PRINT)

The entrance of the Naga Sadhus was filled with fervor and enthralled visitors of the Mela.(Anand Prashad )

The Naga sadhus wore only ash on their bodies from head to toe along with garlands of marigold and rose.(Anand Prashad )

Naga Sadhus also displayed their prowess at handling various traditional weaponry(Ishant)

Naga sadhus of Shambhu Panchayati Atal Akhara arrived at the Triveni Sangam adorned in traditional jewellery and symbols such as tridents as well.(Nitin Sharma )

Along with the male Naga sadhus, a significant number of female sanyasis were also present on the occasion, often wearing loose orange robes and garlands(Ishant)

The Naga Sadhus are smeared with ash to symbolise a complete renunciation of worldly possessions and desires.(Ishant)

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/photos/news/mahakumbh-2-5-crore-took-amrit-snan-dip-naga-sadhus-continue-to-mesmerise-visitors-photos-101738639531782-8.html

The Madras High Court on Monday questioned the continued usage of the term “Gender Identity Disorder” to describe the state of persons who identify themselves as transgender or part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

Justice Anand Venkatesh opined that it is inappropriate to use such terms since it presumes that LGBTQIA+ persons are suffering from a disorder, when their sexual orientations and gender identities are natural.

“(Even) big countries are trying to say there is nothing like that (LGBTQ+ identities) … Somehow impression is given it (LGBTQ+ identities) is a disorder. Why would you use this language – ‘Gender Identity Disorder’? it shows the mindset. Whereas what we are trying to do is tell the whole world, there is no disorder (in people being part of LGBTQ+ community). Nature has decided to create someone this way,” he said.

He added that if the society’s mindset does not change to accept such people as natural, all other efforts will ultimately go to waste.

“You can bring any change in curriculum, but if you continue to say these persons are suffering from “Gender Identity Disorder”, all of this is waste, because fundamentally we are not changing (our mindset)” the judge said.

The Court also criticised the National Medical Commission (NMC) for dragging its feet when it came to introducing changes to its regulations and the curriculum in medical schools to do away with outdated notions about the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Bench was told today that the NMC had failed to implement several proactive suggestions made by an expert committee on this issue.

“(Scientific institutions at the level of NMC) are assuming such persons are suffering from “Gender Identity Disorder”! And these are persons who are supposed to be looking at facts as facts,” Justice Venkatesh said.

The Court was also told that the NMC was yet to amend its regulations to classify conversion therapy as professional misconduct as the revised regulations introduced in 2023 were yet to be notified.

The judge proceeded to suggest that the existing regulations from 2004 be amended for now, so that conversion therapy is treated as misconduct.

“2004 regulations are in force. Therefore, till the new regulations come into force, steps can be taken to amend the existing regulations and to incorporate conversion therapy as professional misconduct,” the Court said.

The order was passed on a case that began in 2021 with a lesbian couple’s plea for protection in the face of opposition from their parents to their relationship.

Over time, Justice Venkatesh broadened the scope of the case and issued several directives for the welfare of LGBTQIA+ persons, including the legal recognition of LGBTQIA+ relationships, the need to revamp the curriculum in medical colleges to tackle queerphobia and a proposal to have a State policy for the welfare of the LGBTQIA+ community.

During today’s hearing, the State informed the Court that it was proposing to have two policies – one for the welfare of transgender and intersex persons and another for others who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Source : https://www.barandbench.com/news/dont-refer-gender-identity-disorder-madras-high-court

The incident has sparked widespread concern among travellers, who are now questioning the reliability of airport equipment.

A passenger flying IndiGo from Chandigarh to Delhi recently reported a discrepancy at the airport check-in counter. When weighing his luggage, the scales at two different counters displayed different readings for the same bag, raising concerns about the accuracy of the equipment. The passenger explained that he initially suspected an issue because his bag felt lighter than the weight displayed on the machine. When he expressed his concerns to the IndiGo staff member at the counter, she suggested that he weigh his bag on a different belt. However, when he did so, the second scale also showed a different reading, further fueling his suspicions.

The passenger documented the incident and shared it on social media, where the video quickly went viral. “Chandigarh Airport. 30th Jan, ’25. Around 16:00 hrs @indigo.6e Counter. Same Bag. Two counters. Two different weights. 2.3 KGs difference,” Daksh Sethi wrote on Instagram along with the video.

He further added, “Can these machines be easily manipulated? I hope this is a rare case and a technical glitch. I generally felt that my bag wasn’t as heavy as it showed, so the lady at the counter asked me to check it on the other belt. And to my surprise, it showed a different number! These little things break our trust in the system. I hope this is taken up very seriously.”

Watch the video here:

The incident has sparked widespread concern among travellers, who are now questioning the reliability of airport equipment and the potential implications for baggage handling and fees. One user wrote, “This has happened with me and my husband almost 3 times in the last 5 years.”

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indigo-flyer-finds-different-weights-for-same-bag-at-chandigarh-airport-airline-responds-7621360 

The woman has told police that she was fed up with Iqbal’s blackmailing.

In a chilling case of murder, a woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly allegedly choked a man to death while getting intimate with him. The woman has told police that Iqbal had been blackmailing her into sexual acts and she was left with no choice. The 32-year-old woman was arrested in the murder case yesterday, two days after Iqbal’s body was found near his home.

The woman told police that Iqbal was a Zari Zardosi artisan who visited homes in her village. This was how they got acquainted with each other and exchanged numbers. They would talk often over the phone. One day, Iqbal asked her to visit him at his place. The woman has said that Iqbal forced her into getting intimate with him. When she warned him that she would tell her husband, Iqbal told her that he had call recordings and he would destroy her home.

“I have little children so I endured this. He blackmailed into getting physical with him multiple times. I was tired of this. On Wednesday, Iqbal went to drop his wife at her parents’ home. I spoke to him while he was on his way back and told him I wanted to meet,” she has said, according to a police statement.

Iqbal gave the woman two pills to put her husband to sleep. “Around 8 pm, I served tea to my husband. I had put the pills in his cup. Soon after, he went to sleep while browsing his phone. Around 11.40 pm, I spoke to Iqbal over the phone and he asked me to come over. He said he was alone at home,” she said.

The woman has told police that she was fed up with Iqbal’s blackmailing. “While going to his place, I thought that either I would die or I would kill him. We were talking to each other when he started getting intimate with me. I held his hands apart and sat on his chest. Then I kept one hand on his mouth and choked him with the other. Once I was convinced that he was dead, I dragged his body to the staircase and returned home. I was so upset with Iqbal. I had no other choice because I wanted to protect my family,” she has said, according to the police statement.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bareilly-murder-i-was-tired-of-blackmail-up-woman-chokes-man-to-death-during-sex-7621455

The heightened measures have been put in place for the Basant Panchami Amrit Snan in the wake of a stampede at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said it has put into place a special crowd management plan named ‘Operation Eleven’ for the ‘Amrit Snan’ on Basant Panchami at Maha Kumbh. The ‘Amrit Snan’ on Basant Panchami will take place on Monday.

According to a statement, the plan, devised under “strict instructions” from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, ensures a “one-way traffic route” for devotees and smooth movement on pontoon bridges. To prevent overcrowding at the Triveni ghats, additional police forces have been deployed and barricades have been increased.

The heightened measures have been put in place as part of the state government’s “zero-error” programme for the Basant Panchami Amrit Snan in the wake of a stampede at Sangam on Mauni Amavasya which claimed at least 30 lives and left 60 pilgrims injured who had gathered for a holy dip on one of the most auspicious bathing dates at the Kumbh.

The key measures under Operation Eleven:

1. Strict enforcement of the one-way route — A one-way traffic system will be strictly enforced on Basant Panchami Snan day to ensure the smooth movement of devotees. Traffic diversions will be in place on major routes to control congestion and pontoon bridges will remain accessible. Additional police forces and barricades will be stationed at bathing ghats to regulate crowd movement.

2. Enhanced security at key locations — Security has been tightened on the New Yamuna Bridge with an additional Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) unit led by a senior officer deployed to control traffic from Naini to Sangam. Two motorcycle patrol squads will be on continuous duty and bridge railings have been reinforced to prevent accidents.

3. Special monitoring at Shastri Bridge — To regulate traffic from Jhunsi to Sangam, one PAC company and a senior officer have been stationed at Shastri Bridge, along with two mobile patrol squads.

4. Crowd control at Tikarmafi Turn — A Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) unit under the supervision of a senior officer has been deployed to manage crowds at Tikarmafi Turn. Traffic from Jhunsi will be diverted via Katka Tiraha, Giraffe Chauraha, Chhatnag Turn and Samudrakup Turn for smooth movement.

5. Special arrangements at Phaphamau and pontoon bridges — At Phaphamau Bridge and pontoon bridges, two motorcycle patrol squads will monitor crowd movement and PAC personnel will be deployed at entry and exit points.

6. Railway stations and bus movement regulation — At Jhunsi railway station, a PAC unit led by a senior officer has been stationed, with reinforced barricades at entry and exit points. Railways is coordinating to increase train frequency for pilgrims.

7. Special bus operations in Jhunsi — A temporary bus station at Saraswati Dwar will facilitate travel to Gorakhpur and Varanasi. Additional buses will be stationed at Jhunsi overnight, with shuttle services between Andawa, Saraswati Dwar and Sahso to ensure smooth transport for devotees.

8. Enhanced security at Prayag Junction — Three Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), along with police forces and two PAC companies, have been deployed at Prayag Junction. Strong barricades have been set up at Yudhishthir Chauraha to control traffic from the IERT Flyover. Adequate signage has also been installed for pilgrims.

9. Crowd management at GT Jawahar and Harshvardhan Chauraha — To regulate traffic at Medical College Chauraha and Balson Chauraha, senior officers, police personnel and PAC units have been stationed. Diversions will be in place from Balson via Bakshi Bandh to Nagvasuki. Pilgrims will be guided from Stanley Road Chauraha via Lajpat Rai Road, Mandalayukta Office Tiraha, Bharat Scouts, Mazar Chauraha and IERT parking to reach the fairgrounds.

10. Additional security and traffic control measures — Additional traffic police and security forces have been deployed at Andawa and Sahso Chauraha, with nine motorcycle patrol squads monitoring the area. Cranes will also be available to handle any emergencies.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maha-kumbh-2025-operation-eleven-to-manage-crowd-during-basant-panchami-amrit-snan-after-stampede-at-sangam-in-prayagraj-7621185

A complaint was filed against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi before a court in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district for her ‘poor thing’ remark on President Droupadi Murmu.

Sudhir Ojha, a Muzaffarpur-based lawyer, filed a complaint on Saturday against Gandhi seeking registration of an FIR against her for allegedly disrespecting the country’s highest constitutional authority.

Ojha also named Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as co-accused and sought legal action against them as well.

“Sonia Gandhi has insulted President Murmu by making the ‘poor thing’ remark. It’s a disrespect to the highest constitutional authority in the country. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are co-accused in it. A case should be registered against them under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” Ojha told reporters after filing the complaint before the CJM court in Muzaffarpur.

The court will hear the matter on February 10.

After the President’s joint address to Parliament ahead of the Budget session, Sonia Gandhi was asked by reporters outside the House about Murmu’s nearly hour-long speech.

“The President was getting very tired by the end… she could hardly speak, poor thing,” Sonia Gandhi, the former Congress chief, was heard saying in clips in what appeared to be a reference to how long the address was.

Rahul Gandhi described the speech as “boring” in one of the clips. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present there.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan had, later, released a statement, calling the remark “unacceptable” and saying that Murmu was not tired. Rashtrapati Bhavan condemned the remark, without naming Sonia Gandhi.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/bihar/complaint-against-sonia-gandhi-in-bihar-court-for-remark-on-president-murmu-3385304

At least six people died, two were injuries, and several remain missing after a vehicle carrying 14 people plunged into a canal in Haryana’s Fatehabad late on Friday night, officials said.

According to Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Jagdish Chandra, “The 14 people were returning after attending a wedding ceremony in Punjab’s Fazilka when the vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a canal in Fatehabad.”

He said that out of the 14 people, 6 bodies were recovered, 2 were alive and the rest 6 were missing.

“We rescued 3 people at night, one of them succumbed at night itself and the rest of the two are alive. We have recovered 5 more bodies. The bodies have been identified. NDRF and SDRF teams are carrying out the search and rescue operations. Six bodies have been recovered and six people are still missing,” SDM Chandra told reporters.

“The deceased have been identified by their families. Among the deceased include a 1.5-month-old infant and a 10-year-old girl, a man and a woman,” he added.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/tragic-accident-in-haryana-6-dead-several-missing-after-vehicle-plunges-into-canal-in-fatehabad-search-operation-underway

In a first, the Rashtrapati Bhavan has allowed a CRPF officer to host her wedding ceremony in its complex on February 12. CRPF Assistant Commandant Poonam Gupta, who led the CRPF’s all-women contingent during the 74th Republic Day Parade, was given permission by President Droupadi Murmu because she was highly impressed by the conduct and service of the person getting married, according to reports.
The CRPF officer is currently posted as a PSO at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, according to reports.
According to media reports, President Murmu has arranged for the ceremony at the Mother Teresa Crown Complex in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The reports suggest that the wedding will involve only a limited number of relatives and friends who would be proofed before entry.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday met the victims of the Maha Kumbh stampede at a hospital here.

He inquired about their well-being from the doctors and directed the medical staff to provide them with the best possible care, an official statement said.

Thirty people were killed and 60 others were injured during a stampede in the Maha Kumbh early January 29.

“The state government is concerned about all the devotees. There will be no shortage in their treatment and comfort,” Yogi Adityanath was quoted as saying in the statement.

Yogi Adityanath also directed the hospital administration to ensure the safe return of the injured to their home towns.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/maha-kumbh-stampede-yogi-adityanath-meets-injured-in-hospital-7613364

Weeks after a 15-year-old schoolboy in Kerala’s Kochi died by suicide, his mother has alleged that brutal ragging crushed her son and pushed him toward death. In a statement posted on Instagram, Rajna PM alleged that her son, Mihir Ahammed, was beaten up, verbally abused and forced to lick the toilet seat.

Police have registered a case of suicide, but Mihir’s mother has said she had written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office and the Kerala police chief and sought an immediate and impartial probe into her son’s death. Mihir died by suicide on January 15 after he jumped from their 26th-floor flat in Kochi’s Thripunithara, barely an hour after he returned from school.

Teen’s Mother Seeks Justice

“After his death, my husband and I began gathering information to understand why Mihir took such a drastic step. Through conversations with his friends, schoolmates, and by reviewing social media messages, we uncovered the horrific reality of what he endured. Mihir was subjected to brutal ragging, bullying, and physical assault by a gang of students at school and on the school bus,” his mother said.

“The evidence we gathered paints a chilling picture. Mihir was beaten, verbally abused, and forced to endure unimaginable humiliation even on his last day. He was forcibly taken to the washroom, made to lick a toilet seat, and had his head pushed into the toilet while it was flushed. These acts of cruelty broke him in ways we cannot fathom.”

Mihir’s mother said he was bullied for his skin colour. “They didn’t end the cruelty even after his death. A shocking chat screenshot reveals the extent of their cruelty. They messaged ‘fxxk ni*ga he actually died’ and celebrated his death,” she wrote.

Big Charge Against School

Rajna PM said Mihir’s friends had started an Instagram page titled ‘Justice for Mihir’ to amplify their demand for justice. “However, the page has now been deleted, and there are reports that the school is intimidating students to suppress the truth. When I approached the school authorities with evidence and demanded accountability, they only informed me that the information was forwarded to the police. I strongly believe they are attempting to cover up these incidents to protect the school’s reputation,” she said. The teen’s mother said she has approached the Chief Minister’s office and DGP for immediate action. “I fear delays in gathering digital evidence may allow the culprits to erase their tracks.”

Ms Rajna said she had also flagged the incident to the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. According to a Mathrubhumi report, the child rights body’s chairman has confirmed that the panel has taken note of the teen’s tragic death. She has also alleged that the school’s vice-principal harassed Mihir.

Kerala Education V Sivankutty has ordered a thorough investigation into the chilling incident, Mathrubhumi has reported.

Celebrities Speak Out

Top actors have spoken out against the ragging culture and mourned the loss of a young life. Samantha Ruth Prabhu said the news had “absolutely shattered” her. “It’s 2025. Yet, we’ve lost another bright young life, snuffed out because a few individuals, filled with hate and venom pushed someone to the brink!”

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kochi-ragging-suicide-mihir-ahammed-made-to-lick-toilet-seat-teen-dies-by-suicide-mother-alleges-ragging-7614832

Following the increase in GBS cases in Nanded, Kirkatwadi, Dhayari, and other localities on Sinhgad Road, the Pune Municipal Corporation has been collecting water samples from borewells and wells for investigations.

Pune: The number of suspected deaths in Maharashtra due to Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare nerve disorder, have risen to four, while the tally of cases recorded in the state so far stood at 140, health officials said.

A 36-year-old man died due to “trauma to the respiratory system due to pneumonia” at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital in the neighbouring Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits on Thursday.

The fourth suspected victim was a 60-year-old man from the Dhayari area off Sinhgad Road here who died on Friday.

The man was admitted to the hospital on January 27 following loose motions and weakness in the lower limbs. He died due to cardiac arrest, according to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department.

According to state health officials, of 140 suspected patients, 98 were diagnosed as confirmed GBS cases.

“A total of 26 patients are from Pune city, 78 from newly added villages in the PMC area, 15 from Pimpri Chinchwad, 10 from Pune Rural, and 11 are from other districts,” said the official release.

No fresh case was reported on Friday.

Most of the cases recorded in the state are from Pune and surrounding areas.

A total of 160 water samples from different parts of Pune city were sent to the Public Health Laboratory for chemical and biological analysis, and samples from eight water sources were found contaminated.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/suspected-gbs-deaths-in-maharashtra-rise-to-4-case-tally-at-140-ecoli-found-in-water-sample-3383394

Addressing a public meeting in Timarpur in support of BJP candidate Surya Prakash Khatri, Saini said Kejriwal has failed to fulfil his promise of cleaning the Yamuna River.

New Delhi: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday accused AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of defaming his state of birth by levelling false allegations that the BJP government has mixed “poison” in the Yamuna water being supplied to Delhi.

Addressing a public meeting in Timarpur in support of BJP candidate Surya Prakash Khatri, Saini said Kejriwal has failed to fulfil his promise of cleaning the Yamuna River.

“Kejriwal has defamed his own state of birth Haryana by making these false allegations. He is resorting to cheap politics to cover up his failure in fulfilling his promises to the people of Delhi,” he said.

Kejriwal was born in Bhiwani district of Haryana.

Earlier in the day, Saini visited the Yamuna Ghat in Wazirabad and presented water samples from both Haryana and Delhi.

He stated that in Delhi, polluted water is being dumped into the Yamuna.

“We supply clean water to Delhi through the Yamuna, but due to mismanagement, the Delhi government is polluting it. When the same water reaches Faridabad, its quality is significantly compromised, raising the risk of serious health issues like cancer,” Saini said.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/haryana/delhi-assembly-elections-2025-yamuna-poisoned-remark-kejriwal-defaming-his-state-of-birth-haryana-says-cm-saini-3383348

Although India has taken steps to reduce its reliance on the US dollar, country’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had earlier clarified that India has “no interest” in weakening the US dollar. In December 2024, then Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das had clearly stated that India was not pursuing “de-dollarisation”.​​

Since assuming office earlier this month, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned BRICS nations of 100 per cent tariffs if they attempt to replace US dollar as the global reserve currency with an alternative currency.
Earlier today, Trump said that the US requires a commitment from the BRICS nations that they will “neither create a new currency, nor back any other currency to replace the mighty US dollar.” “There is no chance that BRICS will replace the US Dollar in International Trade, or anywhere else, and any Country that tries should say hello to Tariffs, and goodbye to America!” the US President posted on Truth Social.
What Is BRICS?
BRICS, formed in 2009, is the only major international group of which the United States is not a part. BRICS consists of ten countries- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

BRICS was established on the premise that already-existing international organisations were overly dominated by western powers and fail to serve the agenda of developing nations. The BRICS group has become a major political force in the last two decades, with member nations hoping to increase their sway in the global order.

The prices of 19kg commerical gas cylinders has been reduced by Rs 7, hours before Budget 2025.

New Delhi: The oil marketing companies on Saturday revised the prices of commercial LPG gas cylinders and reduced the prices of 19 kg commercial LPG gas cylinders by Rs 7 with effect from today. In Delhi, the retail sale price of a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder is Rs 1797 from today.
This comes as national awaits for the Union Budget 2025-26, the first for the Modi 3.0 government and a record eighth one for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

In Kolkata, the price of a 19-kg LPG cyclinder has been reduced from Rs 1911 to Rs 1904. The current rate of a commerical LPG cylinder in Mumbai is Rs 1,749 and Rs 1,959 in Chenna, as per the IOCL webiste.

This comes after a reuction in the price of commercial LPGs on January 1. The rate of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) was cut by 1.5%, or Rs 1,401.37 per kilolitre, to Rs 90,455.47 per kl in Delhi.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/prices-of-commercial-lpg-gas-cylinders-slashed-by-rupees-7-on-budget-day-2025-nirmala-sitharaman-article-117810812