Highlights of the day: PM Modi prays for best health for Mamata Banerjee

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12:00 AM

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sustains 'major injury', PM Modi wishes her speedy recovery

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday evening suffered a major injury on her forehead, the Trinamool Congress said. The TMC supremo underwent a few stitches and medical tests in a government-run hospital before doctors found her stable to be discharged. She was then taken back home. PM Modi took to social media platfom x to wish Mamata Banerjee and wrote,"I pray for a quick recovery and the best health for Mamata Didi." 

8:07 PM

Electoral bonds data received from SBI uploaded on website, says Election Commission of India

In compliance of Supreme Court's directions, the State Bank of India (SBI) had provided the data pertaining to the electoral bonds to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 12, 2024. The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data on electoral bonds on its website as received from SBI on “as is where is basis”.

8:03 PM

Sudha Murty takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP

Engineer-turned-philanthropist Sudha Murty on Thursday took oath as Rajya Sabha MP in the presence of her husband N R Narayana Murthy.

 

Murty took the oath in Kannada.

 

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar administered the oath in his chamber in Parliament House. He also congratulated Murty and her husband after the oath-taking function.

 

Leader of the House Piyush Goyal was also present on the occasion.

6:56 PM

Paytm gets third-party app licence from payments authority

The National Payments Corporation of India on Thursday said it granted India's digital payments firm Paytm a third-party application provider licence. The licence will allow Paytm's customers to continue using its app for payments through India's popular unified payment interface, after its banking arm Paytm Payments Bank, ceases operations by March 15, following regulatory action due to non-compliance with certain norms.

6:43 PM

Amit Shah kickstarts Rs 3,012 crore development projects in Ahmedabad and Sabarmati Riverfront

Union Home Minister Amit Shah (virtually) and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel participate in the inauguration & foundation stone laying ceremony of Development Projects of the Ahmedabad municipal corporation and Sabarmati Riverfront worth Rs 3,012 crore at River Front Event Centre, in Paldi, Ahmedabad.

6:23 PM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declares, 'Citizenship Act (CAA) will not be enforced in Kerala'

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the Citizenship Amendment Act was unconstitutional, against human rights, and poses a challenge to the idea of India.

 

Vijayan, at a press conference here, alleged that the contentious legislation grants legal validity to religious discrimination.

 

The CM also accused the Congress of withdrawing from a united front against the CAA.

 

The CAA was passed in December 2019 and subsequently got the President's assent, but there were protests in several parts of the country against it, with many opposition parties speaking out against the law, calling it "discriminatory".

 

This act grants citizenship to undocumented migrants of all religions -- except Muslims -- from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

4:54 PM

ED attaches properties of former Punjab minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot

Operating under the provisions of the anti-money laundering law, probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties to the tune of Rs 4.58 crore of Punjab Congress leader and former minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and his sons.

4:52 PM

Hindenburg attack was to politically defame India's governance practices: Gautam Adani

Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, on Thursday stated that US short-seller Hindenburg Research's report against the Adani group was not just to destabilise the conglomerate but to also politically defame India's governance practices. In January last year, Hindenburg came out with a report alleging the Adani Group was involved in cooking books of accounts, over-invoicing of import costs and round-tripping its own money to push up share prices. Adani Group denied all allegations and won relief from the Supreme Court this year when judges ruled that it does not need to face additional investigation.

4:48 PM

CAA won't take away citizenship of anyone: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that CAA won't take away citizenship of anyone living in India and that people are being misled over the law. "I believe NDA will win over 400 seats in Lok Sabha polls," Singh asserted.

4:03 PM

Nitish Kumar declared elected unopposed to Bihar Legislative Council, reports PTI

3:03 PM

'One nation, no election': Cong's jab at Centre after Kovind panel report on 'One Nation, One Election'

The Congress today attacked the government after a high-level committee recommended simultaneous pollsfor Lok Sabha and state assemblies, claiming  that the saffron party wants to annihilate the Constitution with the objective of 'one nation, no election'.

2:02 PM

CJI should have been part of selection panel of election commissioners: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

1:57 PM

Procedure followed is not arbitrary but has some lacunae: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

"They (govt) have the majority (in the committee who appoints election commissioner). Earlier, they had given me 212 names, but 10 minutes before the appointment they again gave me just six names. I know that the CJI isn't there, govt has made such a law that the CJI doesn't interfere and the Central govt can choose a favourable name. I am not saying that it's arbitrary but the procedure that is being followed has some lacunae," Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was a member of the PM Modi-led panel, told reporters after the meeting of the selection committee.

1:39 PM

Sukhbir Sandhu, Gyanesh Kumar appointed ECs by PM Modi-led panel

1:12 PM

Spending taxpayers' money on minorities from other countries not acceptable: Kejriwal on CAA

Claiming that an unimaginable number of people will come to India with the doors opening for minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal criticised the central government  today over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).  Kejriwal also slammed the BJP, saying it wants to bring in poor people hailing from minority communities in neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, and settle them here by giving them jobs and houses that rightfully belong to locals.

1:09 PM

Author and philanthropist Sudha Murty takes oath as member Rajya Sabha

11:58 AM

News update: Fitch raises India FY25 GDP forecast to 7% from 6.5% earlier

According to Fitch, prospects for emerging markets have brightened, particularly in India, where it expects growth to reach 7.8 percent in the fiscal year ending March 2024 (FY24) and 7 percent in FY25, both significant upward revisions. The ratings agency cut China’s 2024 forecast to 4.5 percent from 4.6 percent earlier.

11:41 AM

Kovind panel's report on 'One Nation, One Election' submitted to President Murmu

The high-level committee, set up by the central government and headed by by former President Ram Nath Kovind, submitted its report on simultaneous polls to President Droupadi Murmu today.

11:22 AM

Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat: Farmers gather to protest against Centre's policies at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan

Agitating farmers in large numbers gathered at the Ramlila Ground today  to take part in a "Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat" that has been convened to protest against the BJP-led Centre's policies on agriculture-related matters. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has said a resolution will be passed at the "Kisan Mazdoor Mahapanchayat" to "intensify the fight" against the central government's policies. SKM is an umbrella body of farmer organisations that led the agitation at Delhi's borders in 2020-21 against three agriculture laws that have since been repealed.

11:14 AM

Money laundering probe: ED carries out raids at properties of ex-UP Minister Gayatri Prajapati, family

The Enforcement Directorate today conducted raids over a dozen locations in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation against former Uttar Pradesh minister Gayatri Prajapati and his family members, official sources said. The probe agency had in January attached four Mumbai flats and multiple land parcels in Lucknow, worth more than Rs 13 crore of Prajapati, his family members and associates.

10:56 AM

CAA completely insignificant in Assam: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today claimed that the CAA is completely insignificant in Assam, from where there will be the “least number of applications” for Indian citizenship. The Ministry of Home Affairs had on Tuesday launched a portal for people eligible to apply for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019.

9:58 AM

Delhi fire news update: 4 persons including 2 children killed in fire incident at Shahdara

Four people died in a  fire incident at a residential building at Shahdara early this morning. The deceased were identified as Manoj (30 years old), Suman (28) and two girls aged five and three and a half years. "We received a phone call at Geeta Colony Police Station regarding a major fire in a house at approximately 5:30 am. Accordingly, local police, fire brigade, ambulance and PCR vans rushed to the spot. Nine people were rescued and were sent to hospital," DCP Shahdara Surendra Chaudhary said. Officials said that nine people were rescued and were sent to hospital.

 

9:39 AM

CAA will never be taken back, says Home Minister Amit Shah days after implementation

In an interaction with a wire agency, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act would not be taken back. Shah said, "CAA will never be taken back. It is our sovereign decision to ensure Indian citizenship in our country, we will never compromise on it."

9:24 AM

Former President Pratibha Patil hospitalised in Pune

Former President Pratibha Patil has been hospitalised in Maharashtra's Pune city for the treatment of fever and chest infection, officials of the medical facility said on Thursday. Her condition is stable, they added. "Former President Pratibha Patil was admitted to the hospital last night. She is having fever along with some infection in the chest. Her health condition is stable. She is under treatment and is being monitored closely," a senior official from the Bharati hospital said.

9:20 AM

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami unveils development schemes worth Rs 229.3 crore

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami unveiled and laid the foundation stone of multiple schemes worth Rs 229.3 crores on Wednesday. He was participating in the 'Beneficiary Honor Ceremony' organized at the Police Ground Gopeshwar in Chamoli district on Wednesday.

9:15 AM

Land-grabbing case: ED raids multiple locations related to suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan

Probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) today raided several locations in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali in connection with an alleged land-grabbing case against arrested expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan. The raids are still underway at the residential places of suspects linked to the case.

9:07 AM

Agitating farmers to hold 'Mahapanchayat' at Ramlila Maidan today

Protesting farmers will march into the national capital today to push for the fulfillment of their demands that include a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP)  on all crops. The gathering, set to from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, aims to "intensify the fight against government's policies", focusing on issues like MSP and implementing the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations.

9:03 AM

Delhi government fined Rs 50,000 for challenging order that gave health benefits to worker

The Delhi High Court today imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Delhi government after dismissing its appeal against a single judge bench order granting maternity benefits to a woman contractual employee at State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. The high court observed that it was 'surprised' that a government that publicised schemes promoting the interest of women filed such a 'misconceived appeal'.

8:32 AM

PM Modi-led committee set to pick two Election Commissioners

The Selection Committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Thursday to finalise the names of two new Election Commissioners (ECs) to fill the vacancies created in the Election Commission after the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and the surprise resignation of Arun Goel last Saturday.

8:31 AM

Kovind panel likely submit report on simultaneous polls to President Murmu today

The high-level committee set up by the Centre to draw a blueprint for holding simultaneous elections is expected to submit an eight-volume report to President Droupadi Murmu today, news agency PTI reported citing sources. The panel is likely to suggest having a singular electoral roll for holding Lok Sabha, state assembly and local body elections.