News updates: Won't stop Skoda Auto Volkswagen cargo over $1.4 bn tax demand, says Customs

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8:53 PM

BPSC exam row: Tutors 'Khan Sir', 'Guru Rahman' join protesters in Patna

Protests over the demand for the cancellation of the 70th combined competitive examination (CCE) of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) held in December last year, further intensified on Monday with popular educators like Khan Sir and Motiur Rahman Khan known as Guru Rahman, joining the protesters in Patna.

 

Khan Sir and Guru Rahman along with BPSC protesters took out a rally from Mullsllahpur to Gardani Bagh in the state capital.

 

Hundreds of protestors, carrying placards, demanded the cancellation of the exam.

 

The CCE conducted by the BPSC on December 13, 2024, has been in the eye of a storm over allegations of question paper leak.

 

Even as the government had dismissed the allegation, a fresh test was ordered for more than 12,000 candidates who had appeared in the exam at a centre in Patna. Results of the 70th CCE of the BPSC held at 911 centres across the state on December 13, 2024, and 22 centres in Patna on January 4, 2025, were declared on January 23.

 

Talking to reporters, Khan Sir, said, "Protesting BPSC aspirants want re-exam. The CCE conducted by the BPSC should be cancelled immediately. The BPSC used the 'normalisation of marks' process in the exam, which is unacceptable. We have given all evidence before the Patna High Court."

8:12 PM

This government has taken the lives of so many people in the name of Kumbh: Akhilesh Yadav

On Maha Kumbh 2025, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav says: "If there will be a biggest story of mismanagement... I remember the Kumbh in 2013, Harvard University had prepared a report on it, which has been documented, the mismanagement was not to such extent; it was organised in a lesser budget. But this Kumbh was advertised on such large scale, both governments were involved, yet people died in stampede. People spent nights in their cars, roads remained blocked, trains could not reach on time, then too people lost their lives... This government has taken the lives of so many people in the name of Kumbh."

8:11 PM

Qatar Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani arrives in India for state visit, welcomed by PM Modi

7:32 PM

Cong asks govt to wait for SC hearing before taking decision on new CEC

The Congress on Monday asked the government to adjourn the meeting to select the new Chief Election Commissioner until the Supreme Court hears on February 19 a petition on the constitution of the selection panel.

 

The Congress' statement came soon after a meeting of the three-member selection committee, also attended by Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are two other members of the panel. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's Office in South Block.

 

Addressing a joint press conference soon after the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that by removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, the government has made it clear it wants control and not preserve the credibility of the Election Commission.

 

Singhvi did not disclose anything on what transpired in the meeting apart from saying that Gandhi attended it.

7:31 PM

Rahul Gandhi attends meeting for appointment of next CEC as Rajiv Kumar retires

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday left the South Block after he attended a meeting for the appointment of the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. The current CEC, Rajiv Kumar, is set to retire on February 18.

 

The selection committee for appointing Kumar's successor, consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met today.

 

Following Rajiv Kumar's departure, Gyanesh Kumar will become the senior-most Election Commissioner (EC), as his tenure extends till January 26, 2029.

 

To streamline the selection process, the Central government has recently established a search committee under the leadership of Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. This committee is responsible for shortlisting potential candidates for the post of the next Chief Election Commissioner, ensuring that the most qualified and capable individual is appointed to the critical role.

5:53 PM

Pope to remain hospitalised as doctors treat a complex respiratory tract infection

The Vatican said Monday that Pope Francis' respiratory tract infection is presenting a complex clinical picture that will require further hospitalisation.

 

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the results of tests conducted in recent days indicate the 88-year-old pope is suffering from a polymicrobial respiratory tract infection that has necessitated a further change in his drug therapy.

 

There was no timeframe given for his hospitalisation, but Bruni said the complexity of his symptoms will require an appropriate hospital stay.

5:48 PM

Will not stop any consignment of Skoda Auto Volkswagen over $1.4 bn tax demand: Customs dept to Bombay HC

"Will not stop any consignment of Skoda Auto Volkswagen over $1.4 billion tax demand," says Customs department to Bombay High Court.

4:47 PM

Germans holidaying in Kerala cast postal votes for federal polls

Taking time off holidaying in Kerala, four German citizens cast their postal votes for their country's federal elections, at the German Honorary Consulate in the city on Monday. German nationals Rainer Helbing, Uta Helbing, Evelyn Kirn and Veronika Zhuravleva cast their votes at the German Honorary Consulate in the city for the February 23 elections, a statement issued by the Goethe Institut said.

4:44 PM

Why contempt proceedings shouldn't be initiated against you: SC asks UP authorities over mosque demolition

The Supreme Court on Monday directed Uttar Pradesh authorities to respond as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for razing a portion of a mosque at Kushinagar in alleged disobedience of the apex court's direction. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih also directed that until further orders, there shall be no demolition of the structure in question.

4:36 PM

Ask Munde whether he will resign as minister: Ajit Pawar to journalists

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar parried questions on the resignation of embattled minister and NCP colleague Dhananjay Munde and asked reporters to field such queries directly to the latter. Munde is under fire from the opposition and ruling alliance leaders after the former's close aide Walmik Karad was arrested in an extortion case linked to the brutal murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh on December 9.

4:26 PM

Delhi could again see three BJP CMs in next five years, says Gopal Rai

Taking a dig at the BJP over its delay in selecting a chief minister for the national capital, senior AAP leader and former Delhi minister Gopal Rai on Monday predicted that Delhi could again see three different CMs in the next five years like before. Rai said the BJP despite its decisive victory is struggling to choose a leader, reflecting deep internal divisions within the party. "Even after 10 days, they are not able to choose a CM, which shows they do not have a face. The reality is that history could repeat itself and we may see three chief ministers in the next five years just as it happened during the last BJP government in Delhi," he said.

4:10 PM

ED conducts multi-state raids in cough syrup drugs case; nabs 2 NCB accused

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said it has seized cash and jewellery worth Rs 2 crore and apprehended two accused wanted in a drugs case by the NCB during recent searches conducted in some northern states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

3:58 PM

Committed to implementing NEP across country, TN opposition political: Pradhan

The Centre is committed to implementing the New Education Policy across the country, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Monday, and dismissed the Tamil Nadu government's opposition to the NEP as "politics". He said the NEP does not impose Hindi or any other language on students in the DMK-ruled state "but what is wrong if a student in Tamil Nadu learns multilingual aspect in education?" "It can be Tamil, English and other Indian languages," he said.

3:45 PM

Govt can conduct probe, but we know where we stand: Gogoi amid controversity over wife's ISI links

Senior Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday said the Assam government can conduct any inquiry on the issue of his wife's alleged ISI links, but he and his party know where they stand.Gogoi said he had held discussions with the AICC on taking legal action against the BJP in this regard and steps would be taken soon. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP have also been attacking Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, over his British wife Elizabeth Colburn's alleged ISI links.

3:29 PM

News update: Kremlin says Russian officials will hold talks with US in Saudi Arabia Tuesday over Ukraine

3:13 PM

BJP tops income list of national parties for FY 2023-24 with Rs 4,340.47 cr: ADR

The BJP reported the highest income among national parties in the financial year 2023-24, declaring total earnings of Rs 4,340.47 crore, according to poll rights body ADR. The amount accounted for 74.57 per cent of the total income of six national parties during the period under review, the report by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said. "The BJP declared a total income of Rs 4,340.473 crore during FY 2023-24 but spent only 50.96 per cent of it, amounting to Rs 2,211.69 crore. The total income of Congress was Rs 1,225.12 crore, while its expenditure for the year was Rs 1,025.25 crore or 83.69 per cent of its total income," the report said.

2:53 PM

NCW reschedules hearing after summoned 'India's Got Latent' Youtubers fail to appear

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has issued a new hearing date after 'India's Got Latent' Youtubers failed to appear in response to its summons regarding derogatory and obscene remarks made on their show. The Commission had summoned content creators and public figures, including Ranveer Allahabadia, Samay Raina, Apoorva Mukhija, Jaspreet Singh, Ashish Chanchlani, Tushar Poojari, Saurabh Bothra and Balraj Ghai, to appear before it on February 17, 2025 at 12:00 pm.

2:43 PM

India delivering good returns on investments: Nirmala Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India is delivering good returns to investors who are booking profits. Replying to a question on selling by foreign institutional investors (FIIs), Sitharaman said India has an environment where investments are yielding good returns. Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey added that in times of global volatilities like the one that is being witnessed, the FIIs tend to go back to their country of origin which is mostly the US.

2:25 PM

Goyal discusses aircraft manufacturing in India with Lockheed Martin

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday held discussions with US defence major Lockheed Martin on opportunities for manufacturing aircraft in India.He held a meeting with a delegation led by Michael Williamson, President at Lockheed Martin International. "Explored opportunities for manufacturing aircraft in India to further strengthen the 'Make in India' initiative in the aerospace and defence sectors," Goyal said in a post on X. 

2:09 PM

Have given substantial money for growth of MSMEs: FM Sitharaman

"We have given substantial money for development activities and for growth of MSMEs to the SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) itself. The SIDBI is very well placed as an institution to understand the credit requirements of MSMEs. The cycle of business which MSMEs go through in very different from the last businesses, and when public sector banks deal with it, they do understand and extend it accordingly," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

1:23 PM

Stop insisting on trilingual policy to allocate funds to TN, Ex-CM Panneerselvam tells Centre

Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam on Monday urged the Centre to rescind its decision to allocate funds only when the three language policy was implemented in the state. From the time a resolution was passed in the state legislative Assembly, piloted by former Chief Minister C N Annadurai on January 23, 1968, Tamil Nadu has been following two language policy of Tamil and English.

1:16 PM

SC posts hearing on batch of pleas relating to Places of Worship Act in first week of April

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the filing of several fresh pleas in a case related to validity of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 which mandates the religious character of a place to be maintained as it existed on August 15, 1947.

12:38 PM

Two succumb to Guillain – Barre Syndrome in Andhra in 10 days

A 45-year-old woman and a minor boy have succumbed to Guillain – Barre Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune neurological disorder, in Andhra Pradesh in the past 10 days, said Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday. The Health Minister noted that Kamalamma died at Government General Hospital (GGH) in Guntur on Sunday while the 10-year-old boy died in a private medical college in Srikakulam 10 days ago.

12:30 PM

173 public servants investigated for graft since 2012 yet to be suspended, says ACB report

As many as 173 public servants across Maharashtra are yet to be suspended despite allegations and investigations against them in graft cases since 2012, a report by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has stated.

11:51 AM

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw set to launch IndiaAI portal

The central government is set to launch the IndiaAI Compute Portal, which will allow central ministries and state governments to request compute capacity through the platform. "Very soon, in the coming 7-8 days, we'll be launching the portal. So when we launch the portal, you'll come to know," Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. Read here for more details.

11:43 AM

Earthquake jolts Bihar's Siwan

Several places in Bihar were jolted by an earthquake of 4 magnitude that struck Siwan district on Monday morning. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS) the tremor was recorded at a depth of 10 km in Siwan at 8:02 am IST. According to the Bihar Disaster Management Department (DMD), the tremors were felt in Siwan and other surrounding districts.

10:56 AM

MP to see new Low Alcoholic Beverage Bars from April 1; liquor sales to stop in 19 places

In a first, “Low Alcoholic Beverage Bars” will come up in Madhya Pradesh from the next fiscal starting April 1, while the sale of liquor will be restricted in 19 places, including 17 holy cities under the new Excise Policy, an official said. Only beer, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages with a maximum alcohol content of 10 per cent V/V (volume on volume) will be allowed for consumption in these new bars.

10:47 AM

Tight security at New Delhi Railway Station post stampede;

Tight security arrangements are in place at the New Delhi Railway Station, a day after a stampede claimed 18 lives there on Saturday night, police said. Delhi Police, along with Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP), has deployed additional personnel to manage rush at the station, which remained overcrowded on Sunday with thousands of passengers struggling to board trains amid heavy rush, an officer said.

10:13 AM

Fire destroys powerloom factory in Thane district; none hurt

A fire broke out at a powerloom unit in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district, destroying equipment and goods stored on the premises, a fire official said on Monday. There was no casualty in the blaze that erupted at Bhusawal Compound in the Fatima Nagar area around 6 pm on Sunday, the official said.

He said two fire engines with local firefighters and members of the disaster control team brought the blaze under control around 10.30 pm.

10:00 AM

Kokrajhar set to host first-ever sitting of Assam Assembly outside capital Kokrajhar

For the first time in Assam, a sitting of the legislative assembly is being held outside the state capital as the opening day's proceedings of the Budget session are set to get underway at Kokrajhar on Monday. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Speaker Biswajit Daimary are already in this headquarters town of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), while other ministers and MLAs are scheduled to reach later in the forenoon.