News updates: World moving to new energy system, India stuck in old economic thinking, says Rahul
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (Photo: PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the world is shifting to a new energy system, where electric motors, batteries, and optics will be the most crucial technologies, yet India "remains stuck in outdated economic thinking, controlled by monopolies like Reliance and Adani". The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said when power is no longer concentrated in a few hands, whether in business or government, it transforms everything. Gandhi made the remarks in a post accompanying a video on his YouTube channel on his recent interaction with students from Nagaland. "Spoke with students from Nagaland recently and realized how little we are taught about their culture - that's not education, that's erasure. The Northeast should be far more central to India's vision and development," he said. Gandhi said the real conversation during the interaction, though, was about the future.
A plane carrying 33 persons from Gujarat, who were among 104 Indians deported from the US for illegal immigration, landed at Ahmedabad airport from Amritsar on Thursday morning, officials said. Soon after their arrival, the 33 immigrants, including some children and women, were transported to their native places in Gujarat in police vehicles, Assistant Commissioner of Police, 'G' division, R D Oza said. Majority of them are from Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Patan, Vadodara and Kheda districts, sources said. A US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants, including 33 from Gujarat, landed at Amritsar in Punjab. Six States have adopted a joint resolution seeking the withdrawal of draft UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations, 2025. Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka adopted the 15-point resolution at the conclave of State Higher Education Ministers-2025 in Bengaluru. The States said that the draft UGC regulations do not envisage any role for the State Governments in appointment of the Vice Chancellors of Public Universities established under State Acts and thus impinge on the legitimate rights of the State in a federal set up. The resolution demanded that the State Governments must be given a pivotal role in appointment of Vice Chancellors to State Public Universities. Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh took out their anger at exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina by destroying a family home that came to symbolise the country's independence and now, they say, the authoritarianism they believe she led. The attack was sparked by a speech Hasina planned to give to supporters from exile in neighboring India, where she fled last year during a deadly student-led uprising against her 15-year rule. Critics had accused her of suppressing dissent. The house in the capital, Dhaka, had been home to Hasina's late father and Bangladesh's independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who declared the country's formal break from Pakistan there in 1971. He was assassinated there in 1975. Hasina later turned the home into a museum. Pam Bondi was sworn in Wednesday as attorney general, taking charge of the Justice Department as it braces for upheaval with President Donald Trump aiming to exert his will over an agency that has long provoked his ire. The ceremony took place in the Oval Office and it was the first time that the Republican president had participated in a second-term swearing-in of a Cabinet member. It was further evidence of Trump's intense personal interest in the operations of the department that investigated him during his first term and then brought two since-abandoned indictments after he left office in 2021. Bondi is expected to radically reshape the department, which in recent days has seen the firing of career prosecutors and FBI officials as well as the undoing of the massive prosecution into the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot with Trump's sweeping day one pardons. Mumbai Police conducted identification parade for Shariful Islam Shehzad, the accused in the Saif Ali Khan stabbing case, at Arthur Road Jail , officials said. According to officials, Shehzad, who allegedly entered Saif's residence with the intent to commit theft, was identified by witnesses present during the incident. The police said they have strong evidence linking him to the crime, including CCTV footage and a positive facial recognition test. Last month, Saif was attacked by an intruder, later identified as Mohd Shariful Islam Shehzad, who allegedly entered his home intending to commit theft. During a violent confrontation, Saif sustained stab wounds to his thoracic spine and other parts of his body. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital for immediate treatment. 8:31 PM
Delhi's maximum temperature settles at 23.6 deg C
The national capital on Thursday recorded a maximum temperature of 23.6 degree Celsius, 0.3 notches above the season's average, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The minimum temperature was 8.2 degrees Celsius while the humidity level at 5.30 pm was 36 per cent.
The city experienced strong winds, the department said.
The department predicted a clear sky and strong winds for Friday. Smog and mist are likely in the morning.
Meanwhile, the 24-hour average AQI level, which is updated at 4 pm everyday, did not provide data for Thursday.
The website shared the AQI for Wednesday, which was in the poor category, with a reading of 284.
8:30 PM
UGC extends deadline to submit feedback on draft UGC regulations
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday extended the deadline for submitting feedback on the Draft UGC Regulations of 2025 to February 28, which focuses on minimum qualification for appointment and promotion of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges.
The Draft UGC Regulations, which also focuses on measures for the maintenance of standards in higher education, were uploaded on January 6, requesting feedback from stakeholders connected with academic institutions. The original date to receive feedback was February 5.
"In view of requests received from stakeholders to extend the last date to submit feedback on the draft UGC Regulations 2025, UGC has now decided to extend the last date to February 28, 2025. Stakeholders can submit feedback on the draft regulations till 28/02/2025," the notice signed by UGC Secretary Manish R Joshi read.
8:11 PM
PM Modi's speech in Rajya Sabha 'full of lies, half-truths': Congress
The Congress on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his speech in the Rajya Sabha, saying he kept the "river of lies" flowing and "twisted" history but did not speak on the real issues of the people.
The opposition party also claimed that the prime minister's speech was "full of lies and half-truths".
Modi on Thursday accused the Congress of practising appeasement politics to get votes and asserted that the BJP-led Union government was working on the principle of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'.
The prime minister said the Congress' priority was "family first" and its policies had been focused around it.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "The prime minister's capacity to divert, distort and defame is truly staggering. His 90-minute speech today in the Rajya Sabha was full of lies and half-truths."
8:10 PM
Eight killed as Rajasthan roadways bus collides with car in Dudu
Eight people were killed in an accident when the tyre of a bus travelling from Jaipur to Ajmer burst causing its driver to lose control of the vehicle, which collided with a car, police said.
The tyre of the bus burst near a divider and the vehicle crashed into the car that was travelling from Ajmer. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Deepak Khandelwal confirmed that all eight people in the car died in the crash
According to officials, "This was a roadways bus travelling from Jaipur to Ajmer. The tyre exploded near a divider, causing the bus to move to the side. A car coming from Ajmer was involved in a head-on collision with the bus. As a result, the car was severely crushed, and eight people in the vehicle were killed."
Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister took to the social media platform X to express his grief over the incident. Offering condolences to the bereaved families, he assured that the authorities were taking necessary actions to provide treatment for the injured.
8:06 PM
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh describes his phone conversation with US defence secretary as excellent
Reviewed ongoing defence cooperation, explored ways to expand India-US defence ties: Rajnath on phone talks with US defence secretary.
7:07 PM
Israeli Defence Ministry gets Acting Director-General
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz appointed Itamar Graf acting Director-General of the Defense Ministry on Thursday.
Graf replaces Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, who was nominated to become the military's next Chief of Staff. Zamir is due to become Chief of Staff on March 6.
Graf is currently the ministry's deputy director and head of its planning division.
Katz said he intends to appoint a permanent director-general.
6:08 PM
World shifting to new energy system, India stuck in outdated economic thinking: Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the world is shifting to a new energy system, where electric motors, batteries, and optics will be the most crucial technologies, yet India "remains stuck in outdated economic thinking, controlled by monopolies like Reliance and Adani".
The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said when power is no longer concentrated in a few hands, whether in business or government, it transforms everything.
Gandhi made the remarks in a post accompanying a video on his YouTube channel on his recent interaction with students from Nagaland.
"Spoke with students from Nagaland recently and realized how little we are taught about their culture - that's not education, that's erasure. The Northeast should be far more central to India's vision and development," he said.
Gandhi said the real conversation during the interaction, though, was about the future.
5:27 PM
Trump says no US soldiers needed in Gaza, US would take over after war
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Israel would turn the Gaza Strip over to the United States after the fighting ends and that no U.S. soldiers would be needed there. "The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting. The Palestinians ... would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region," Trump said in a Truth Social post building on his controversial comments about Gaza's future this week.
5:17 PM
B'desh lodges protest with India's deputy envoy over ousted premier Hasina's activities during her India stay
4:51 PM
DeepSeek temporarily suspends API service top-ups
DeepSeek has temporarily suspended API service top-ups, a platform that allows developers of other models to integrate its AI models, due to server resource constraints, its website showed Thursday. The Chinese AI start-up has in the past two weeks faced server issues due to the high traffic spurred by the global clamour.
4:12 PM
Global tariff threats could deal $207 million blow to Pernod Ricard, CFO says
Tariffs affecting cognac sales in China and threatened U.S. levies on Canada, Mexico and the European Union would deal an estimated 200 million euro ($207.24 million) blow to Pernod Ricard's business annually, finance chief Helene de Tissot said on Thursday.
4:02 PM
Honeywell to separate its aerospace unit from automation business, WSJ reports
Honeywell International is expected to reveal its plans to separate its aerospace business from its automation division, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
2:50 PM
Delhi HC fixes April 16 for Karti Chidambaram's plea to quash CBI FIR
The Delhi High Court on Thursday fixed April 16 to hear a plea of Congress MP Karti Chidambaram seeking to quash a CBI FIR against him for allegedly helping an alcoholic beverage company Diageo Scotland over the ban on the duty-free sale of its whisky. Justice Vikas Mahajan deferred the hearing after Karti's lawyer said the arguing counsel was not available.
2:35 PM
Punjab given step-motherly treatment, why did plane carrying deportees landed in Amritsar and not Delhi: AAP
Accusing the Centre of meting out step-motherly treatment to Punjab, the ruling AAP has asked why the US aircraft that brought back 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar and not Delhi. Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla also raised the same question and slammed the Centre for not protesting the deportation of its citizens.
2:09 PM
Attempt to push RSS agenda: Rahul Gandhi slams govt over draft UGC regulations
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged the UGC's draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges was an attempt to push the agenda of the RSS that aimed to achieve its idea of imposing "one history, one tradition, one language" on the country.
Topics : Donald Trump Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina Protest Donald Trump administration Saif Ali Khan Mumbai police US Deportation Law Gujarat
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First Published: Feb 06 2025 | 8:02 AM IST
