Page 20 - Bs Reads

Nine-judge SC bench to hear Sabarimala, religious freedom cases from Apr 7

A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court is scheduled to commence from April 7 the final hearing on petitions relating to discrimination against women at religious places, including Sabarimala Temple, and on the ambit and scope of religious freedom practised by multiple faiths. According to the apex court's cause list of April 7, the nine-judge Constitution bench will comprise Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices B V Nagarathna, M M Sundresh, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Aravind Kumar, Augustine George Masih, Prasanna B Varale, R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi. In September 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench, by a 4:1 majority verdict, had lifted the ban that prevented women between the age of 10 and 50 from entering the Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala in Kerala and held that the centuries-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional. Later on November 14, 2019, another five-judge bench headed by the then CJI Ranjan Gogoi, by a majority of 3:2, referred the issue of ...

Milk producers receiving ₹34.18 crore monthly benefit, highest ever

Milk-producing farmers in the state are now receiving an average benefit of Rs 34.18 crore per month -- the highest ever -- as the state milk federation procures approximately 2.70 lakh litres of milk per day from the farmers. This is a significant increase compared to the average procurement of 1.57 lakh litres per day during the financial year 2024-25, a government spokesperson said in a statement here on Saturday. The federation is ensuring doorstep milk collection, particularly benefiting marginal milk producers living in remote areas of the state. This initiative is helping improve their socio-economic conditions by providing them with direct financial support. He said that the government has consistently increased milk procurement prices over the last three years. In the 2026-27 budget, provision has been made to procure cow milk at Rs 61 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 71 per litre. Reforms made in the dairy sector have encouraged more people to participate in village dair

UK police investigate after officers left guns outside mayor's home

London police are urgently investigating how armed protection officers guarding Mayor Sadiq Khan left a bag of guns outside his home. The Metropolitan Police said in a statement late Friday that five officers had been removed from front-line duties while inquiries were being carried out. The weapons cache, which according to The Sun newspaper included an MP5 semiautomatic Heckler and Koch carbine, a Glock pistol, Taser and ammunition, were found in south London Tuesday by a couple, who then informed the Metropolitan Police. Scaffolder Jordan Griffiths told the newspaper that his girlfriend found the bag by the curbside and said that he was in "shock" after discovering what was inside. "I could not believe my eyes and took some pictures as proof of what we had found," he said. "I called the police and told them what I had found and within a few minutes they turned up to collect the guns." The police Directorate of Professional Standards is reviewing what happened and confirmed that

Iran envoy to India calls US-Israel conflict a 'strategic failure'

In a post on X, Fathali said, "A review of global think tanks, from the US and Europe to Asia, reveals a clear pattern: strategic failure for Israel and the US"

PM Modi draws massive crowds in roadshow in Kerala ahead of April 9 polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday led a high-energy roadshow in Kerala's capital, drawing massive crowds and turning the city's streets into a sea of supporters as the NDA intensified its campaign for the April 9 Assembly polls. Fresh from a public meeting in Thiruvalla, Modi arrived at the state capital in the evening and began a 1.5-km roadshow from Killipalam here. Braving the evening rush, thousands of party workers and enthusiastic supporters lined the route, waving flags, chanting slogans and catching a glimpse of the prime minister as his convoy moved slowly through the packed stretch. The event underscored the BJP-led NDA's push to energise its cadre and expand its footprint in the state in the final stretch of campaigning. BJP candidates, including Rajeev Chandrasekhar and R Sreelekha, joined the roadshow, adding to the show of strength. The BJP state leadership expects that Modi's high-octane public campaigns would help them make strong inroads into the grassroots

ULFA-I militant surrenders before security forces in Arunachal's Tirap

A militant of the banned ULFA-I surrendered before security forces in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district, an official said on Saturday. The surrendered militant was identified as self-styled private Jintu Gogoi (23), alias Arun Asom, a resident of Hachara village under Singhadawar Police Station in Assam's Sivasagar district. He laid down arms before the police, Assam Rifles, and Central Reserve Police Force at the Superintendent of Police's (SP's) office in Khonsa on Friday. During the surrender, Gogoi handed over a 7.65 mm Italian-made pistol along with one magazine and 10 rounds of live ammunition. The official said the move is part of sustained efforts to encourage militants to shun violence and return to the mainstream. Further investigation is underway, the official added.

EC suspends four Kolkata cops over lapses at Adhikari's nomination filing

The Election Commission on Saturday directed the suspension of four Kolkata Police officials and initiation of disciplinary proceedings against them for "failing" to maintain law and order during BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's nomination filing in the hotly contested Bhabaniour seat. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accompanied Adhikari for the filing of the nomination papers on April 2 in the seat in south Kolkata, where the leader of the opposition in the outgoing Assembly is pitted against incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In a communique to the West Bengal chief secretary, the poll panel said the direction is based on a recommendation from state Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. The missive directed action against Kolkata Police's Deputy Commissioner (DC-II), South Division, Siddhartha Dutta, Officer-in-Charge of Alipore Police Station Priyankar Chakraborty, Additional OC Chandi Charan Banerjee, and Sergeant Saurabh Chatterjee. "The commission has agreed to t

President Murmu greets citizens on Easter eve, calls for peace and harmony

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday greeted citizens on the eve of Easter and asked all to renew the resolve to promote harmony, peace and brotherhood for a better future. Easter is a significant festival of Christianity. The resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ encourages people to embrace the values of truth, love, compassion, sacrifice and forgiveness, the President said in a message. "On this occasion, let us renew our resolve to promote harmony, peace and brotherhood, and strive collectively for a better future," Murmu said. She extended her greetings and good wishes to all fellow citizens, especially to the Christian community, residing in India and abroad.

Bandhan Bank's loans rise 12.6% to ₹1.54 trn, deposits up 10% in Q4FY26

Bandhan Bank's loans and advances grew 12.6 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,54,235 crore as of March 31 compared to Rs 1,36,995, the private lender said on Saturday. On a sequential basis, the loan book expanded 6.2 per cent from Rs 1,45,224 crore as of December 31, 2025, according to a provisional unaudited disclosure filed with the bourses. Total deposits rose 10 per cent on-year to Rs 1,66,344 crore at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025-26 against Rs 1,51,212 crore in the corresponding period last year, and were up 6.1 per cent from Rs 1,56,724 crore in the previous quarter. Retail deposits, including CASA, climbed 17.7 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,22,547 crore, while retail term deposits surged 30.1 per cent to Rs 73,796 crore. The retail-to-total deposits ratio improved to 73.67 per cent from 68.88 per cent a year earlier, the bank said in the filing. CASA deposits stood at Rs 48,751 crore in the fourth quarter, up 2.8 per cent year-on-year, while the CASA ratio stood at 29.

India extends duty-free yellow peas import window until March 2027

All other terms and ​conditions ‌governing such imports would remain ​unchanged, the government said

EU pushes for profit caps on energy firms as Iran conflict drives prices up

The finance ministers of Spain and four other European countries are urging the European Union to impose a bloc-wide windfall tax on energy companies, concerned that surging oil and gas prices driven by the war in Iran will fuel inflation and strain households. Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said on Saturday that his counterparts from Germany, Italy, Portugal and Austria had signed a letter to the European Commission citing "market distortions" caused by the price spike. "The conflict in the Middle East has caused oil prices to rise, placing a significant burden on the European economy and on European citizens," the letter, dated Friday and made public by Cuerpo in an online post, said. "It is important to ensure that this burden is distributed fairly," it added. Europe is largely dependent on imported oil and gas, leaving it vulnerable to external shocks. In 2022, turmoil in energy markets following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine pushed inflation into double digit

Odisha's Puri airport project gets stage-I forest clearance from Centre

MoEFCC grants in-principle approval for forest land diversion for Puri airport, subject to afforestation, wildlife safeguards and pending CRZ clearance requirements

Poor product data, rising returns push up e-commerce logistics costs

E-commerce and quick commerce platforms are using artificial intelligence to improve product data quality, reduce returns, and ease rising logistics costs amid growing customer expectations

Birds, Sex and Beauty: A lively take on evolution and attraction

Matt Ridley's book revisits Darwin's sexual selection theory, exploring how birds choose mates-and what it reveals about beauty, evolution, and human assumptions

Stories We Wear: Do appearances, outfits carry texture, history, politics?

This book unravels the layers behind what may seem like mere Instagram aesthetics or airport looks

Microsoft aims to develop large cutting-edge AI models by next year

Microsoft is assembling the com- puting horsepower to build more broadly capable models, Suleyman said

US trade deficit widens to $57.3 billion in February, below forecast

The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for an almost $61 billion deficit

Govt order to offer 60% flight seats without additional charges put on hold

The government on Thursday "put in abeyance" its earlier direction to airlines to offer at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, according to sources. On March 18, the civil aviation ministry announced that directions have been issued to the DGCA to direct airlines to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight free of any additional charges to ensure fair access for passengers. "The matter has been reviewed in light of representations received from the Federation of Indian Airlines and Akasa Air, highlighting operational and commercial implications of the above provision, including its potential impact on fare structures and consistency with the prevailing deregulated tariff regime. "In view of the above, and pending a comprehensive examination of the issue, it has been decided that the provision relating to offering at least 60 per cent of seats free of charge shall be kept in abeyance till further ..

Macron says military option to reopen Strait of Hormuz is 'unrealistic'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said France considers it "unrealistic" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through a military operation. "There are people who advocate the idea of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by force, through a military operation, a position that has at times been expressed by the United States," Macron told reporters during a visit to South Korea. "That has never been the option we have chosen, and we consider it unrealistic." Macron said a military operation "would take an infinite amount of time and would expose anyone passing through the strait to coastal threats from (Iran's) Revolutionary Guard, who has capabilities, ballistic missiles and many other risks." The reopening of the Strait "can only be done in coordination with Iran," through negotiations that would follow a potential ceasefire, Macron said. France is pushing for an international mission involving European and non-European nations to escort oil and gas tankers and reopen the Str

Supreme Court asks Sebi to close case against Sandesaras or face action

The Supreme Court told market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Thursday to close proceedings against Sterling Biotech Limited (SBL) and its promoters, Chetan and Nitin Sandesara, or else it will be compelled to take a serious view of the matter. A bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and A S Chandurkar told the SEBI's counsel that its order of November last year was very clear that all proceedings against the Sandesara brothers will be quashed if they deposit Rs 5,100 crore in the apex court registry. "We have said all proceedings, including that of SEBI, need to be quashed upon deposit of the money. If you are doing it, then it is alright, or we will be compelled to pass a detailed order on the issue," the bench told the counsel. The SEBI's counsel said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is deliberating with the market regulator and sought a week's time to apprise the court of the developments. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing in the court for the Sandesa