Highlights: Congress MP challenges legality of Waqf Amendment Bill in Supreme Court

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10:30 PM

Walmart is actively considering joining a group of investors to buy TikTok: Report

Walmart is actively considering joining a group of investors to buy TikTok, says ABC. 

10:23 PM

Prepare for elections for five years, not six months or a year: Kharge to Congress district chiefs

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday impressed upon the party's district unit chiefs to prepare for elections for five years and not just six months or a year.
 

He also urged them to make all efforts to prevent tampering with voters' lists.

Calling on Congress workers and leaders to raise issues of the people, Kharge said former party chief Rahul Gandhi had built a 'muhim (campaign)' through the Bharat Jodo Yatra before the last Lok Sabha elections and stressed that "we have to put build such a 'muhim' again".

6:16 PM

PM Modi to inaugurate India's first vertical lift sea bridge on Ram Navami

The new Pamban Rail Bridge, India's first vertical lift sea bridge, is all set to be inaugurated in Tamil Nadu on April 6, on the occasion of Ram Navami, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at about noon. He will flag off a train and a ship from the road bridge and witness the operation of the Bridge, according to a PMO statement.

5:43 PM

Amitabh Kant advocates for global cooperation at G20 Sherpa meeting

Former CEO of NITI Aayog and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant participated in the G20 Sherpa meeting, emphasizing the importance of promoting global growth to drive sustainable development. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the pictures of the meeting on social media platform X and said that Kant highlighted the need for G20 nations to work together to address current global challenges.

5:15 PM

IMD issues thunderstorm warning for Mumbai

The Met department issued a warning about the possibility of a thunderstorm in Mumbai in the next few hours. The warning by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) came around 4.30 in the evening.

4:57 PM

Central govt has declined consent for TN's anti-NEET bill, rejection a 'dark chapter', says Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin stated that the Assembly resolution seeking NEET exemption for the state, that was sent for Presidential assent, has been declined, and that the rejection was a "dark chapter in federalism." Nevertheless, the state would continue its struggle to abolish the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), he said and announced that a meeting of the legislature party leaders has been convened on April 9, in this connection.

4:48 PM

Congress MP challenges legality of Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in Supreme Court

Congress MP Mohammad Jawed has filed a plea in the top court against the passing of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling the proposed law "discriminatory towards Muslim".

4:29 PM

Ex-minorities panel chief in Karnataka gets death threats after Waqf remarks

Anwar Manippady, former chairman of Karnataka State Minorities Commission, on Friday claimed that he had received multiple death threats via internet-based calls, sparking serious concern over his safety. He has since lodged a complaint with the police.

4:22 PM

Temperature likely to rise up to 42 in Delhi

In Delhi, daytime temperatures could reach around 42 degrees Celsius at some places by April 6 or 7. The IMD also said maximum temperatures in many parts of central and northwest India are expected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius during this period. Earlier this week, the department said India is expected to see higher-than-usual temperatures from April to June, with more heatwave days in central and eastern India and the northwestern plains.

4:00 PM

Govt will act in accordance with SC directives, says Bengal minister on school jobs verdict

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu  said, "The Honourable Supreme Court itself has used the term ‘tainted' in its order, which confirms the SSC's submission about the number of tainted and untainted candidates in the 2016 recruitment process." This comes a day after the Supreme Court invalidated the appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff recruited through the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) panel.

3:55 PM

Congress launches Manmohan Singh fellowship programme to help professionals transition into politics

The Congress has launched a fellowship programme named after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh under which 50 mid-career professionals will be chosen every year and mentored by senior party leaders from professional backgrounds with an aim of building a modern and progressive India. Chairman of Professionals' Congress and Data Analytics Praveen Chakravarty said those professionals would be chosen who are in the middle of their careers, not at the entry level, but who have spent close to ten years in the professional world, and now who are passionate about building a modern, progressive, and prosperous India.

3:29 PM

Cabinet gives nod to Vibrant Villages Programme-II with outlay of Rs 6,839 crore

The Vibrant Villages Programme-II has been approved with 100% central funding with an outlay of Rs 6,839 crore.

3:20 PM

Cabinet approves 4 railway projects in 3 states worth Rs 18,658 crore

The Union Cabinet has given its nod for the completion of projects in 15 districts in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. This will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 1,247 km.

2:56 PM

News update: Allahabad HC refuses to quash summon against Rahul Gandhi in Savarkar defamation case

2:28 PM

PM Modi underlined India's concerns on security of minorities in Bangladesh

In the meeting with Yunus, Modi underlined India's desire to forge positive, constructive relationship with Bangladesh, says Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

 

2:19 PM

Manoj Kumar's demise irreparable loss to world of cinema: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said the death of legendary film personality Manoj Kumar has caused an irreparable loss to the world of cinema. Expressing grief over the demise of Kumar, the CM recalled the many laurels earned by the veteran actor-filmmaker in a career spanning more than five decades, which included the Padma Shri and the Dada Saheb Phalke award. Manoj Kumar died in a Mumbai hospital early Friday. He was 87.

1:47 PM

PM Modi proposes 21-point action plan to boost engagement among Bimstec nations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed a 21-point action plan that includes linking India's UPI with the payment systems of Bimstec nations and setting up a Bimstec Chamber of Commerce to strengthen engagement among the grouping's members. Addressing the sixth Bimstec Summit, PM Modi said the grouping is an important forum to further global good.

1:45 PM

Tyed Mehta's 'Trussed Bull' sells for record Rs 61.8 crore at Saffronart auction

Within a fortnight of MF Husain's 'Gram Yatra' selling at a whopping Rs 118 crore at a Christie's auction in New York, his contemporary and modernist master Tyeb Mehta's 'Trussed Bull' went under the hammer for Rs 61.80 crore at Saffronart's 25th anniversary auction in Mumbai on Wednesday.

1:26 PM

Man detained for tearing pages of holy book in UP's Shahjahanpur

Cops have detained a man accused of tearing pages of a holy book in the Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a senior official said on Friday. The incident took place around 9 pm on Thursday near the Jalalabad police station, just 50 meters away from the station. Following the act, thousands of people gathered at the spot. Upon receiving information, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Dwivedi arrived with a police force and managed to control the situation.

12:57 PM

SC permits Jharkhand govt to cut power supply during Ram Navami celebrations to avoid electrocution incidents

The top court has asked the Jharkhand government to keep power cuts to a minimum level and confined to religious procession routes. 

12:55 PM

SC refuses to entertain plea for imposing prohibition on social media usage for children below 13 yrs

It is a policy matter, says SC on plea for imposing statutory prohibition on social media usage for children below 13 years.

12:20 PM

Fire breaks out in Andhra Pradesh secretariat block II

A minor fire broke out in the second block of the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat in the early hours of Friday, triggering concern among officials and staff, and no one was in or around the room at the time of the incident, an official said. The fire started around 6:30 AM in the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) room of South Block Number Two, which houses offices of key ministers including that of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.

11:28 AM

India offers to host Bimstec Athletics Meet this year, first Bimstec Games in 2027: PM Modi

PM Modi has proposed to set up Bimstec Chamber of Commerce and organise BIMSTEC Business Summit every year. 

11:25 AM

ED conducting searches at premises of Gokulam Chit Funds in Kerala

The Enforcement Directorate has raided the premises of Empuraan producer Gokulam Gopalan's chit fund company in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

11:17 AM

PM Modi proposes to connect India's UPI with payment systems of Bimstec nations

PM Modi tells BIMSTEC Summit that integrating UPI with payment systems of regional grouping will boost trade and tourism.

10:54 AM

ED carrying out searches in Jharkhand in Ayushman Bharat 'embezzlement' case

The Enforcement Directorate is carrying out searches at 21 locations in Jharkhand in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial embezzlement in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

10:30 AM

Congress will very soon be challenging in Supreme Court constitutionality of Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025

We are confident and will continue to resist all 'assaults' of Modi govt on principles contained in Constitution, said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. 

9:59 AM

Chandrababu treating Lord Venkateswara as 'brand ambassador' for real estate firm, claims YSRCP

YSRCP leader B Karunakar Reddy has alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was treating Lord Venkateswara Swamy as a "brand ambassador" for a real estate business by opening a TTD temples inside private venture. Reddy raised objections over the alleged support of the TDP led NDA government to build a Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) temple inside a private real estate venture by G Square.

9:53 AM

India ranks 36 out of 170 nations on readiness for frontier technologies global index

India ranks 36th out of 170 nations on a global index measuring a country's readiness for frontier technologies, improving its ranking from last year, according to a UN report. The 2025 Technology and Innovation Report, issued by UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), stated that India ranked 36th in 2024 on the ‘Readiness for Frontier Technologies' index, improving its position from 48th in 2022.

9:22 AM

Manoj Kumar, icon of patriotic films, dies at 87

Veteran actor and filmmaker Manoj Kumar died in a Mumbai hospital early Friday. He was 87. The industry veteran died of age related issues at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital around 3:30 am. Kumar came be known as 'Bharat Kumar' for his series of patriotic films such as "Shaheed", "Upkar" and "Purab Aur Paschim."