LIVE news: NITI Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam gets one year extension

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8:55 PM

Parts of Delhi receive light rain, maximum temperature recorded at 27.4 deg C

7:01 PM

NITI Aayog CEO Subrahmanyam gets one year extension

The Centre has extended the tenure of NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) B V R Subrahmanyam by one year, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

 

Subrahmanyam, a 1987-batch retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, was in February 2023 appointed to the post for a period of two years.

 

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in Subrahmanyam's tenure as NITI Aayog CEO for a period of one year beyond February 24, 2025, the order said.

7:00 PM

Finmin to meet heads of public sector banks on Mar 4, to review financial performance

4:50 PM

Odisha plans to construct 16 dams, 15 barrages on Mahanadi river: CM

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday informed the state assembly that 16 dam and 15 barrage projects have been planned for securing sustainable water development with equity for Mahanadi waters in the interest of the state. 

4:38 PM

Russia targets Ukraine's gas infrastructure in latest drone, missile attack

Russia launched 161 drones and a dozen missiles overnight, targeting gas infrastructure in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region and hitting power supply in the southern Odesa region for a second night in a row. The attack was part of an intensified assault on Ukraine's energy system over the past month as Russia discusses ending its war in Ukraine with the new US administration of President Donald Trump.

4:24 PM

CBI conducts raids at Aiims Bhubaneswar over alleged recruitment scam

A nine-member CBI team scrutinised 27 individuals, including permanent staff, after conducting a five-hour-long raid at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (Aiims) in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, probing alleged irregularities in the institution’s recruitment process.

4:15 PM

Delhi HC notes Sajjan Kumar convicted, disposes of SIT plea against bail

The Delhi High Court on Thursday disposed of a plea against the bail granted to former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case after being informed he was convicted in it. Justice Vikas Mahajan took note of the development and disposed of the petition as being infructuous. "The Central government standing counsel for the petitioner (SIT) submits that during the pendency of the petition, the respondent (Kumar) has been convicted in the case and formally taken into custody. Therefore, this petition has become infructuous," said the court.

4:06 PM

Centre extends Chief Economic Adviser Nageswaran's term until March 2027

Nageswaran was appointed to the position in 2022 and has also served as a part-time member of the economic advisory council to the prime minister from 2019 to 2021.

3:36 PM

Centre asks OTT, social media platforms to follow IT Rules

Amid the India's Got Latent row, The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has urged social media channels and OTT platforms to follow the Code of Ethics prescribed under IT Rules, 2021, stressing the importance of self-regulation and access control for 'A' rated content.

3:02 PM

Locals oppose plan to divert holy water of Manikaran to Kasol for commercial use

The proposal of transferring water from Manikaran -- a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Sikhs -- to Kasol in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district to establish hot bath facility has led to a disagreement with locals opposing the move and now an alternative has been found by digging hot water spring in Kasol. It was decided in a recent meeting of the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) that a new nature park would be built in Kasol with a hot bath facility for which the water would be diverted from Manikaran through pipes.

2:56 PM

Australia withdraws travel advisory to its citizens against travelling to Assam: Himanta

The advisory issued by Australia to its citizens against travelling to Assam has been withdrawn but they have been asked not to go to four districts where the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is in force, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. Australia has reviewed the travel restrictions issued to its citizens against visiting the state and announced revised guidelines that they can travel in all districts of Assam barring Tinsukia, Charaideo, Dibrugarh and Sibsagar, Sarma said.

2:36 PM

KIIT announces scholarship honouring Nepalese student after tragic death

Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) has introduced a scholarship in honour of a 20-year-old Nepalese student who died by suicide in her hostel room on February 16. Her death sparked unrest on the campus.  

 

KIIT and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta announced the scholarship on Wednesday after meeting the student's father and uncle, extending his heartfelt condolences, as per a statement released by the institute.

1:56 PM

90% of Japanese firms fear negative impact from Trump’s trade policies, shows survey

A recent Reuters survey found that nearly 90 per cent of Japanese companies expect adverse effects from US President Donald Trump’s policies, reflecting rising concerns among businesses in Japan, the largest foreign direct investor in the US.  

 

The uncertainty is driven by potential tariff increases and escalating US-China trade tensions, which could impact Japan’s economic prospects. As the world’s fourth-largest economy, Japan depends on both nations for trade and manufacturing.  

 

The survey, conducted by Nikkei Research for Reuters, collected responses from 233 of the 505 companies contacted between February 4 and February 14.  

 

Around 86 per cent of respondents said Trump’s policies would negatively or somewhat negatively affect their business operations, while only a small percentage expected any benefits. A previous survey in December had shown that 73 per cent of companies were concerned about Trump’s potential second term, indicating growing unease.  

 

Among those with a negative outlook, 72 per cent cited trade policies, particularly additional tariffs, as the main concern, while 26 per cent pointed to deteriorating US-China relations.

1:24 PM

Goa set to ban Rottweiler, Pitbull breeds after recent attacks spark safety concerns

Goa is likely to impose a ban on Rottweiler and Pitbull dog breeds in the state. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the Cabinet had approved the prohibition of these breeds. The decision comes in response to several recent incidents involving "aggressive" dog breeds.  

 

The move follows a recent case in Assagao, North Goa, where a 40-year-old man sustained injuries after being bitten by a pet Rottweiler. In August last year, a tragic incident occurred in North Goa’s Anjuna, where a seven-year-old boy lost his life after being attacked by a Pitbull. The child had accompanied his mother, a domestic worker, to her employer’s house when the dog bit him on the neck and body. The incident triggered public outrage and renewed demands for stricter regulations on certain "ferocious" dog breeds.

 

12:43 PM

Amendments to Advocates Act threaten council’s autonomy: BCI to law minister

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has requested Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to reconsider certain provisions in the proposed amendments to the Advocates Act, 1961, stating that they “would undermine the BCI’s autonomy.”  

 

The Law Ministry recently released the draft Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeking public feedback on the proposed changes.  

 

In a letter to the minister, BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra noted that while the council had conducted two rounds of discussions with Ministry officials and reached “an apparent consensus” on key points, the published draft included deviations from the agreed terms.

12:20 PM

Donald Trump hints at election meddling in India: 'We have got to tell the Indian government'

US President Donald Trump has suggested that the previous administration under Joe Biden may have interfered in India's elections. His remarks come as he continues to defend the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, for its contentious decision to cut a $21 million grant intended to boost voter turnout in India.  

 

During the Saudi Arabia-backed FII Priority Summit in Miami on Wednesday night, Trump said, "Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they (Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government. This is a total breakthrough."

11:02 AM

'Very disturbing': SC stays Lokpal order entertaining complaints against sitting HC judge

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Lokpal's order, which entertained complaints against a sitting high court judge, terming it as "very disturbing". A special bench headed by Justice B R Gavai issued notice to the Centre and others seeking their responses in the suo motu proceedings initiated over the January 27 order passed by the Lokpal. It also directed the complainant to keep the complaint filed by him confidential.

10:59 AM

Aviation minister Naidu launches electronic personnel license for pilots

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday launched Electronic Personnel License (EPL) for pilots, a significant step towards modernising and enhancing the safety, security, and efficiency of civil aviation in India. With this launch, India has become the second country in the world to implement EPL for flight crew. China has already implemented such a facility. The minister launched the EPL at UDAAN Bhawan here.

9:53 AM

Delhi Cabinet update: 6 MLAs to take oath as ministers

A Union Home Ministry notification stated that the president, on the advice of Chief Minister designate Rekha Gupta, appointed BJP MLAs Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ravinder Indraj, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Kumar Singh as ministers of the Delhi government.

9:42 AM

NISAR space plan with US example of India's cost-effectiveness: Somanath

Former Isro chairman S Somanath has highlighted the cost-effectiveness of India's space programmes and noted that for the same satellite and share of work, the country will incur five-time less expenditure compared to the US for an upcoming mission. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) project will map the entire globe and provide data for understanding changes in Earth's ecosystems.

9:17 AM

FIRs registered over sharing fake Kumbh video from Pakistan, says DIG

Uttar Pradesh Police registered FIRs against social media handles for posting a fake video about the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj from Pakistan, Mahakumbh DIG Vaibhav Krishna said. "FIRs have been registered against social media handles for posting a video from Pakistan claiming it to be of the Kumbh area... FIR has also been registered for misuse of the videos of women taking a dip," Krishna said.

8:43 AM

IRS plans to lay off 7,000 probationary workers

The IRS will lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country beginning on Thursday, according to media reports.

The layoffs affect probationary employees with roughly one year or less of service at the agency and largely include workers in compliance departments,