Highlights: SC to decide on validity of electoral bond scheme tomorrow

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10:59 PM

350 e-buses launched in Delhi, highest overall among all cities: CM Kejriwal

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday flagged off 350 electric buses, taking the number of such buses to 1,650. Kejriwal and Saxena said the addition of the buses will strengthen the fight against pollution. Out of the 350 buses, 300 buses have been added to the cluster bus fleet and 50 to the Delhi Transport Corporation fleet.

10:25 PM

Maha legislature to hold special session on February 20 to discuss Maratha quota issue, other demands

A special session of the Maharashtra legislature will be held on February 20 to discuss reservation and other demands of Maratha community, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Office said. The decision came as the hunger strike of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who had demanded that such a session be called, entered its fifth day and he was given IV fluids in view of deteriorating health.

10:11 PM

SC to decide on validity of Centre's electoral bond scheme tomorrow

Supreme Court to decide tomorrow on validity of Centre's electoral bond scheme which allows anonymous funding for political parties.

10:07 PM

5,000 devotees offered Gurudwara's langar meals at Abu Dhabi's BAPS temple inauguration

During the inauguration of the first Hindu stone temple in Dubai on Wednesday, the Gurudwara in the city distributed 5,000 'langar' meals in a display of interfaith solidarity. The dedication ceremony, attended by over 5,000 invitees, was officiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Surender Singh Kandhari, chairman of the committee of Guru Nanak Durbar Gurdwara, highlighted that this gesture reflects the temple's representation of a multi-faith community.

9:51 PM

Water supply to area around Burari Metro Station to be affected on Fri: DJB

Water supply in the Burari Metro Station area is anticipated to be disrupted on February 16 due to water pipeline interconnection work conducted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, as per officials from the Delhi Jal Board. They mentioned that there will be no water supply for a duration of 18 hours, starting from 9 am on February 16 until 3 am on February 17.

9:26 PM

Irdai proposes to increase 'free look' period to 30 days

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has proposed significant changes aimed at enhancing consumer protection within the insurance sector. Specifically, IRDAI aims to extend the "free look" period for returning policies to 30 days, doubling the current duration. Additionally, the regulator proposes to make nomination mandatory for life insurance policies. As per the existing regulations, policyholders have a "free look" period of 15 days (30 days for electronic policies) to review their insurance policies and decide whether to opt out if they are dissatisfied with any terms or conditions outlined in the policy

9:08 PM

Sharjeel Imam's bail in a sedition case

A Delhi court reserves order on Sharjeel Imam's bail in a sedition case, order to be pronounced on February 17.

8:56 PM

Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Moneky fever cases

On Moneky fever cases, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao says "Two people have died till now. Further prevention of deaths is an utmost priority for us. We have set up our teams there (in Uttara Kannada district). We are spreading general awareness."

8:16 PM

AAP leader Sanjay Singh moves SC against Delhi HC order denying bail

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh has moved Supreme Court challenging Delhi High Court order which refused to grant him bail in a money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy 'scam'. The high court had on February 7 rejected the bail application of Singh, who has been re-elected to Rajya Sabha from Delhi, but directed the trial court to expedite the trial once begins.

8:08 PM

Singhu border on NH-44 is inaccessible for traffic, says Delhi Police

Delhi Traffic Police says Singhu border on NH-44 is inaccessible for traffic, issues advisory for the public.

8:00 PM

Land for Ayodhya temple provided by ex-PM P V Narasimha Rao: Congress

Congress MLA in Karnataka claimed that the land for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was provided by former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao. K M Shivalinge Gowda, representing the Arsikere constituency, expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for overseeing the construction of the Ram Temple. However, he also sought to acknowledge his party's contribution to the initiative.

7:36 PM

Won't allow proxy litigation against UAPA provisions, will hear those aggrieved, says SC

he Supreme Court declared its stance against "proxy litigation" challenging the constitutional validity of provisions within the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Court emphasized that it would solely entertain challenges to the anti-terror law's vires from individuals directly affected by it. During proceedings, a bench comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal questioned the personal impact on petitioners. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing some of them, was informed by the bench that only those with personal grievances could initiate a legal challenge against the law.

7:24 PM

Budget session of Manipur Assembly to begin on February 28

The Budget session of the Manipur Assembly is scheduled to commence on February 28 and will run until March 5, as confirmed by an official announcement on Wednesday. The Assembly Secretary, K Meghajit Singh, disclosed that the budget presentation is slated for the first day of the session following discussions held during a Business Advisory Committee meeting.

7:10 PM

PM Modi performs Aarti at BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi

7:05 PM

Akshay Kumar arrives for inauguration of first Hindu mandir in Abu Dhabi

Actor Akshay Kumar arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday in preparation for the inauguration of the city's first Hindu stone temple. The temple, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been constructed using ancient architectural techniques combined with modern scientific methods. For the event, Akshay Kumar was attired in a white and golden kurta.

6:19 PM

Delhi HC seeks govt's stand on plea against age cap for women for surrogacy

The Delhi High Court requested the Centre's stance on a petition filed by a couple contesting the law that permits only women aged between 23 and 50 years to opt for surrogacy. A bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan issued a notice on the petition submitted by the couple, both of whom are approximately 51 years old. They argued that such a restriction violated their right to procreation.

5:55 PM

BJD to support BJP's Ashwini Vaishnaw in Rajya Sabha polls in Odisha

The ruling BJD in Odisha on Wednesday announced that it will support BJP's Ashwini Vaishnaw in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in the state. Earlier in the day, the candidature of Union minister Vaishnaw was announced by the BJP. Soon after the development, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a statement said, the BJD supports Vaishnaw's candidature for the "larger interest of the state's railways and telecom development".

5:32 PM

Burj Khalifa lit up with Tricolour to welcome PM Narendra Modi

The iconic Burj Khalifa illuminated in the Indian tri-colour as Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in discussions with the UAE President during India's participation as the guest of honour at this year's World Governments Summit. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi held extensive discussions with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, resulting in the signing of 10 agreements between the two countries. These agreements focus on collaboration in crucial sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and investments.

5:18 PM

Delhi Chalo march: Farmers to squat on rail tracks in Punjab on Thursday, says BKU

The Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) declared that farmers would stage sit-ins on rail tracks at seven locations in Punjab on Thursday in response to the Haryana Police's actions against protesting farmers at the borders. Joginder Singh Ugrahan, president of BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), announced that their agitation would take place from 12 noon to 4 pm.

5:02 PM

MoD signs contract worth Rs1,752 cr with AWEIL for 463 Stabilised Remote Control Guns (SRCG)

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract on February 14 with Advanced Weapon Equipment India Ltd. (AWEIL), Kanpur for manufacturing and  supply of a total of 463 indigenously manufactured 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Guns (SRCG) for the Indian Navy & Indian Coast Guard at a total cost of Rs 1752.13 crores, with Indigenous Content (IC) of more than 85 per cent.

 

4:54 PM

PM Modi in UAE: PM Modi holds talks with Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held high-level bilateral discussions with Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina during his two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates.

4:52 PM

Sixteenth Finance Commission holds first meeting under Chairmanship of Dr Arvind Panagariya in New Delhi

The 16th Finance Commission (XVI-FC) held its first meeting under the Chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Panagariya in Jawahar Vyapar Bhawan, Janpath, New Delhi. The commission will make its recommendations available by October 31, 2025, covering an award period of 5 years commencing April 1, 2026.

 

4:48 PM

Rajya Sabha nomination shows the faith BJP has in me, says Ashok Chavan a day after joining BJP

"Today the list of Rajya Sabha candidates of BJP has been announced and I am glad to know that my name has been announced as the candidate for BJP in Maharashtra. I thank PM Modi, Union HM Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders. I feel that the opportunity they have given me shows the faith BJP has in me," says BJP leader Ashok Chavan.

 

4:45 PM

Rajya Sabha nominations: Congress nominates Ajay Maken from Karnataka for RS polls

The party also announced the nominations of Renuka Chowdhury and Anil Kumar Yadav  from Telangana.

2:59 PM

We have to promote participation of Global South in global decision-making: PM Modi

We have to promote values of cohesive, cooperative, collaborative world; promote participation of Global South in global decision-making. While giving priority to our national sovereignty, we have to ensure respect for international law, PM Modi said today.

2:56 PM

India's solar energy capacity grew twenty six-fold in last decade: PM Modi

India is the world's fastest growing major economy. Sustained growth needs energy security and sustainability. In one decade, we went from the 11th largest economy to the 5th largest economy position. In the same period, our solar energy capacity grew twenty six-fold!, says PM Modi at International Energy Agency’s ministerial meeting.

2:53 PM

Social, financial inclusion remained govt's prime priorities, says PM Modi

Social and financial inclusion have remained our government's prime priorities. We have associated over 50 crore people with banking system...these were the people who didn't have any bank account!  It is result of our consistent efforts that India is shining on the global stage in the fields of fintech and digital payments, says PM Modi at World Government Summit.

2:43 PM

Technology is proving to be a key disruptor, says PM Modi at World Government Summit

Today, technology is proving to be a key disruptor. Today, terrorism is bringing new challenges before the humanity. Today, the climate challenges are becoming widespread with time.On the one hand, there are domestic concerns, on the other hand, the international system seems disoriented. Amidst these challenges, the significance of the World Government Summit has very much increased, says PM Modi.

2:32 PM

World is embracing modernity, challenges are continuously rising too: PM Modi at Abu Dhabi event

"On the one hand, the world is embracing modernity, on the other hand, the challenges emanating since the last century are on a continuous rise. Be it food security, health security, water security, energy security, education or building an inclusive society, every government is bound by many responsibilities towards its citizens," says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

2:21 PM

BJP nominates party chief JP Nadda from Gujarat , Ashok Chavan from Maharashtra

The saffron party today named party chief JP Nadda and Ashok Chavan as its Rajya Sabha candidates from Gujarat and Maharashtra respectively. Union ministers Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya have been dropped from the list of nominations