Highlights of the day: Results for JEE-Main announced, says National Testing Agency

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11:39 PM

Results for engineering entrance exam JEE-Main announced: National Testing Agency.

Results for engineering entrance exam JEE-Main announced, says National Testing Agency. According to NTA, 56 candidates achieve perfect 100 NTA score in engineering entrance exam JEE-Main, maximum from Telangana. As many as 39 candidates debarred from taking JEE-Main for three years for using unfair means in the engineering entrance exam.

10:43 PM

Spectrum sharing, leasing should be allowed, says TRAI

Regulator Trai on Wednesday recommended that telecom service licensees be allowed to share passive infrastructure, including buildings, towers, electrical equipment and dark fibre, owned and operated by them with all types of telecommunication service licensees. The sector regulator further mooted that telecommunication service licensees should also be allowed to share all kinds of active infrastructure elements owned and operated by them with other telecommunication service licensees as per the scope of their services.

10:37 PM

Over 440,000 visited Srinagar's tulip garden, highest since 2007

A record 446,000 visitors visited Asia's largest tulip garden, ensconced between the Dal Lake and the Zabarwan Hills here, which was closed for public on Wednesday after remaining open for over a month, officials said. "This year the garden remained open for 33 days and saw a footfall of 4.46,154 visitors," Floriculture Officer of the garden, Javeed Masood, told PTI.

10:18 PM

TikTok halts reward feature on new app in France and Spain

TikTok said on Wednesday that it's halting a feature on its new app rewarding users in Europe for watching videos, after facing pressure from regulators worried about its addictive features. The company backed down days after the European Union warned that the TikTok Lite app might have breached the 27-nation bloc's digital regulations when it launched earlier this month. The EU's executive Commission threatened to order the suspension of features that pose a risk to kids.

9:49 PM

SCO Defence Ministers meet in Astana; Aramane leading Indian delegation

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane is leading the Indian delegation to Kazakhstan for the annual meeting of the defence ministers of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation during which the "regional security issues" within the SCO will be reviewed, officials said on Wednesday. Aramane is leading the delegation to Astana from April 25-26, the defence ministry said in a statement.

9:41 PM

IMD forecasts further rise in mercury, heatwave conditions to get more severe in south Bengal

Heatwave conditions prevailing in southern West Bengal will continue till at least Sunday with a further rise in maximum temperatures, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, offering no respite for the denizens from the searing heat. The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of West Bengal, caused by dry westerly winds and strong solar insolation, have caused the state government to reschedule summer holidays in schools run or aided by it, while many private educational institutions have either switched to online classes or changed their timings.

8:43 PM

CPPIB sells 2.8% stake in Delhivery for Rs 908 crore

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on Wednesday divested a 2.8 per cent stake in supply chain and logistics firm Delhivery for Rs 908 crore through an open market transaction. US-based financial services company Capital Group, Fidelity Investments, HSBC, and the Master Trust Banker Japan Ltd A/C HSBC Indian Equity Mother Fund were the buyers of Delhivery shares on the NSE.

7:46 PM

President Murmu to go on 5-day Himachal Pradesh visit beginning May 4

President Droupadi Murmu will arrive here on May 4 for a five-day visit of Himachal Pradesh. She will stay at the Rashtrapati Nivas, a presidential retreat, near Chharabra, about 14 km from the state capital. District Magistrate Anupam Kashyap, who held a meeting with police and civil officers concerned regarding arrangements for the president's visit here on Wednesday, said that she would arrive at Shimla on May 4 and leave for Delhi on May 8.

7:11 PM

Govt approves one-year extension to RBI Dy Guv Rabi Sankar

The Indian government has extended the tenure of central bank deputy governor T. Rabi Sankar by a year to May 2025, according to a government document seen by Reuters. The one-year extension would be applicable from May 3, 2024, the order said. Rabi Sankar is in charge of the foreign exchange, currency, and fintech departments at the central bank.

6:59 PM

No action for short deduction of TDS, if PAN-Aadhaar linked by May 31

In a circular, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said several grievances have been received from taxpayers that they are in receipt of notices intimating that they have committed default of 'short-deduction/collection' of TDS/TCS while carrying out the transactions where the PANs of the deductees/collectees were inoperative. In such cases, as the deduction/collection has not been made at a higher rate, demands have been raised by the department against the deductors/collectors while processing of TDS/TCS statements.

 

5:41 PM

ED attaches assets of Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's alleged associate

The ED on Wednesday said it has attached land parcels worth more than Rs 73 crore of Pravin Raut, a "close associate" of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and some others in connection with its money laundering investigation linked to purported irregularities in the redevelopment of Mumbai's Patra Chawl. The immovable properties of Pravin Raut and some other people known to him are located in and around Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad and Thane and a provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach them, it said in a statement.

5:12 PM

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari faints while addressing a public meeting

Union Minister and BJP candidate Nitin Gadkari faints while addressing a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections, at Pusad in Yavatmal district.

4:53 PM

Not shying away from dealing with stray dogs issue but will not allow scope to be expanded, says SC

The top court today said it was not shying away from dealing with the issue relating to orders passed by various civic bodies regarding stray dogs, especially in Kerala and Mumbai, but it will not allow the scope of the matter under consideration to be expanded. "Let us also clarify one thing. We are not shying away from dealing with the issue but we will not allow the scope to be expanded," a bench of justices J K Maheshwari and Sanjay Karol said.

4:51 PM

ED conducts raids at premises of Tulsiani Group

Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at premises of real estate company Tulsiani Group at various locations in UP's Lucknow, Noida, Prayagraj and Gurugram in Haryana.

4:35 PM

Russian priest who held Navalny's memorial service suspended by Moscow church

A priest who oversaw a memorial for late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been suspended for three years by the head of the country's Orthodox Church. Dmitry Safronov held a memorial service by Navalny's grave in Moscow on March 26 to mark 40 days since the politician's death, an important ritual within Russian Orthodox tradition.

4:26 PM

HUL's Q4FY24 net profit falls 6% to Rs 2,406 cr; company declares Rs 24 dividend

HUL's Q4FY24 net profit falls 6% to Rs 2,406 cr; company declares Rs 24 dividend. HUL's turnover for the financial year ended March 31, 2024 was Rs. 59,579 crores as against turnover of Rs. 58,154 crores for the financial year ended 31st March, 2023. 

3:56 PM

China says, Taiwan putting itself in 'danger' over US aid

China today criticised the latest package of US military assistance to Taiwan on Wednesday, saying that such funding was pushing the self-governing island republic into a dangerous situation. The US Senate late Tuesday passed $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan after months of delays.

3:35 PM

Supreme Court stays construction of 4 dams inside Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary

The Supreme Court (SC) today stayed the construction of four proposed dams inside Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary in Haryana's Yamunanagar district. The SC noted that the construction of dams will not only be harmful to wildlife and population in Kalesar but also to the ecosystem and even the purpose for which the dams are proposed would not be achieved.

3:16 PM

EVM-VVPAT case: 'We can't control elections,' says Supreme Court

While hearing pleas seeking the complete verification of votes cast using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), the top court said :"we don't control the elections, the poll body has cleared doubts".

"We cannot control the elections, we cannot control the functioning of another constitutional authority," the Supreme Court said. "The ECI has cleared doubts. We cannot change your thought process. We cannot issue a mandamus on the basis of suspicion."

3:01 PM

News update: Supreme Court reserves judgement on EVM-VVPAT case

2:45 PM

'Can we issue a mandamus on the basis of a suspicion': SC bench to Advocate Bhushan

"Can we issue a mandamus on the basis of a suspicion? The report you are relying on says that there is no incident of hacking yet. We are not the controlling authority of another constitutional authority. We cannot control the elections; the judgment of SC did," the bench tells Advocate Bhushan.

2:42 PM

EVM-VVPAT case: Prashant Bhushan raises doubts over flash memory of machines

I ask myself is it impossible to load a malicious program in the flash memory along with the symbols, says Advocate Prashant Bhushan during hearing on EVM-VVPAT issue.

2:33 PM

EVM-VVPAT case: Control units storing the polling data are sealed; VVPAT is also sealed, says ECI

"The control unit stores the polling data; so, it is sealed. During commissioning, all three units are also sealed with pink seal. VVPAT is also sealed and signature is taken from all polling agents," ECI informs the Supreme Court.

2:25 PM

EVM-VVPAT case: All units have their own microcontrollers; cannot be accessed, says Election Commission

"All three units, ballot units, vvpat and the chip.. all have their own micro controllers and these micro controllers are housed in secured unauthorised access detection module and it cannot be accessed. All the micro controllers are one time programmable. It is burned when inserted so can never be changed. For symbol loading we have two manufacturers, one is ECI and Bharat Electronics," ECI tells the Supreme Court.

2:20 PM

W Bengal Govt approaches SC against HC setting aside 24,000 teaching, non-teaching jobs

The West Bengal government has filed a Special Leave Petition on Wednesday before the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's order invalidating almost 24,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs that were filled as a result of the 2016 SSC Recruitment process.

2:03 PM

Delhi Court grants time to CM Kejriwal to file response on Enforcement Directorate's reply

The Rouse Avenue Court today granted time to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to file a rejoinder on the replies filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on his two revisions against summons issued to him. The trial court had issued summons to Kejriwal on two complaints filed by the ED. The matters have been listed on May 14 for further hearing.

2:00 PM

Centre extends deadline for accreditation of halal certification bodies till July 4

The central government has extended the deadline for accreditation of halal certification bodies and registration of export units by three months till July 4 this year. “Time period for accreditation of halal certification bodies and registration of export units has been extended by a period of three months, up to July 4, 2024,” DGFT said in a notification.

1:55 PM

Zilingo ex-CEO Ankiti Bose files FIR against co-founder

Co-founder and ex-CEO of fashion e-commerce startup Zilingo Ankiti Bose registered a criminal complaint against fellow co-founder Dhruv Kapoor and ex-COO Aadi Vaidya, according to a report by The Times of India. Bose pressed charges of 'cheating', 'criminal intimidation', 'conspiracy', and ‘harassment’ in her complaint and alleged that Dhruv Kapoor and Aadi Vaidya misled her as well as Zilingo's investors to gain monetary benefits.

1:46 PM

Isro to have second trial flight of unmanned Gaganyaan mission today

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is scheduled to undertake a second test flight of the uncrewed Gaganyaan mission on Wednesday. Isro Chairman S Somanath had outlined the upcoming schedule, indicating that after an airdrop test on April 24, two more uncrewed missions are slated for the following year, leading up to the manned mission by the end of the year. Read here for more details.

1:43 PM

‘They didn’t retaliate': EAM Jaishankar blames Congress for ‘inaction’ despite 26/11 attacks

Hitting out at the previous Congress-led regime, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Monday that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government “justified” not retaliating to the 26/11 attacks as it “decided” that “hitting Pakistan would cost more than not striking” the neighbouring nation.