Fierce contest in Uttarakhand, Goa on February 14; crucial phase in U.P.
In high-stakes elections for the BJP, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Goa and Uttarakhand goes to the polls on Monday, along with 55 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh in the second of the seven phases of polling in the State. Voting is being held for all the 70 Assembly seats in over 13 districts in Uttarakhand with 632 candidates in the fray. The ruling BJP, which won 57 seats in the previous election, is anxious to defend its majority in the State where it faces off directly against the Congress, though this time the AAP has fielded candidates for all the seats.
New Delhi non-commital on funding curbs on U.K. NGOs
United Kingdom officials discussed foreign funding restrictions placed on the Oxfam and other British NGOs with the Modi government last week, requesting the Union Home Ministry to reconsider its decision to deny Oxfam India’s registration renewal application under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA). The request came during a virtual meeting the British Permanent Home Secretary Mathew Rycroft had with Union Home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, one of a number of high-level exchanges ahead of a possible visit by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson later this year.
Ensure peace and harmony on campuses, says CM Bommai as schools reopen today after hijab controversy
As the high schools in Karnataka are reopening on Monday amidst the row over dress code, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has instructed deputy commissioners, SPs and Education Department officials to not only coordinate among themselves, but also visit the schools to ensure prevalence of harmonious conditions. “High schools are being reopened from tomorrow. I am confident that the classes will be held peacefully,” Mr. Bommai told reporters in Hubballi.
LIC readies for stock market debut; Government to offload 5% stake
The government has filed a draft red herring prospectus with the stock market regulator for selling 5% of its shares in the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey said on Sunday evening. “The IPO is an 100% OFS (offer for sale) by the Government of India and entails no fresh issue of shares by LIC,” Mr. Pandey said, adding that 31.6 crore shares are on offer representing 5% of the government’s equity in the firm.
Thanjavur student death | SC to hear case today
The Supreme Court on Monday is scheduled to hear an appeal filed by Tamil Nadu to stay a Madras High Court order transferring the investigation into the death by suicide of a 17-year-old student at Thanjavur to the CBI, amid controversy sparked by a private video on social media in which the girl allegedly said she was asked to convert to Christianity. The case is before a Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M. Trivedi.
Police seen as insensitive towards commoners; corruption complaints against IPS officers: Parliamentary panel
A Parliamentary panel has expressed anguish that the public image of police across the country is negative and police are often seen as insensitive towards the common man and vulnerable sections. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by Congress leader Anand Sharma, also noted with concern that corruption complaints were filed against some IPS officers. “The committee notes with anguish that the public image of police throughout the country is more on a negative side,” it said in its report submitted to the Parliament this week.
Punjab Assembly elections | Akalis bank on their traditional voter base
This is the first Assembly election that the Shiromani Akali Dal is contesting after its bitter divorce from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Together since 1997, the Akalis left the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2020 over the controversial farm laws. This is also the first Assembly election where the Akalis do not have the cushion of urban votes that the BJP managed to secure for them. Back with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) after a gap of 26 years, the Akalis are hoping to wipe away memories of the eminently forgettable 2017 results as Punjab goes to vote in six days. And their hopes are pinned on the committed voters who have stood by them election after election. Since 1997, the party has never got below 30 per cent votes. The chorus for the Akalis is not as loud as that for the AAP. It is more of a low hum in favour of “ takhari” (weighing scales), the election symbol of the Akali Dal.
Anti-CAA protesters push political boundaries in Deoband
Every movement gives birth to new political faces. In Deoband, it is Iram Usmani, one of the five women who led the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in January 2020, under the banner of Mutahida Khwatin Committee (MKC). Two years later, Ms Usmani, a housewife, is busy canvassing for the SP candidate Kartikeya Rana in the narrow lanes of the town where women in hijab are ubiquitous. “The BJP is flogging a dead horse. Their Hindu-Muslim agenda has been rejected by the people in this election. So, their affiliate groups are finding newer ways to fragment people and demonise Muslims,” said Ms. Usmani.
Important for other States to follow TN in opposing NEET: Thorat
Former Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC) Sukhadeo Thorat on Sunday stressed on the need for other States to follow Tamil Nadu in its efforts against the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET). Addressing a webinar organised by the Association for Social and Economic Equality (ASEE) on the impact of entrance exams in providing access to education for socio-economically disadvantaged groups, he said the Union government would soon implement entrance exams for all courses if concrete actions were not taken to stop it.
Stalin backs Mamata’s call for meet of non-BJP CMs
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Sunday backed his West Bengal counterpart and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee’s call to hold a convention of Chief Ministers of non-BJP ruled States. Mr. Stalin tweeted that Ms. Banerjee had telephoned him to share her concern and anguish on the constitutional overstepping and brazen misuse of power by the Governors of non-BJP ruled States. “She suggested for a meeting of Opposition CMs. I assured her of DMK’s commitment to uphold State autonomy. Convention of Opposition CMs will soon happen out of Delhi,” Mr. Stalin said.
Punjab Assembly elections | BJP candidate Sucha Ram Ladhar injured after attack on his car in Ludhiana
BJP candidate from Punjab’s Gill constituency Sucha Ram Ladhar was injured and hospitalised after unidentified persons allegedly attacked his car Sunday evening, police said. The attack took place when he was returning from a village in his constituency in Ludhiana after campaigning. Some people hurled bricks at Mr. Ladhar’s car and he sustained injuries in the attack, a police official from the area where the incident took place said over the phone. Mr. Ladhar was taken to Ludhiana civil hospital, he said, adding his condition is stable.
Odisha’s Dhinkia village is out of bounds, say activists, academicians
Activists and academicians here alleged on Sunday that they were not allowed to visit Dhinkia village, the epicentre of protests against the establishment of a mega steel plant in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, and meet villagers. Amidst raging controversy over protesters being subjugated and intimated, activists and academicians had tried to meet Dhinkia’s villagers on Saturday. However, it is alleged that they were waylaid by residents of other villages at the behest of the Jagatsinghpur district administration and the company’s supporters.
U.S says over 130,000 Russian troops now staged outside Ukraine
Ukraine's President urged calm amid intensified warnings of a possible Russian invasion within days, saying he had yet to see convincing evidence of that, even as the U.S. reported Sunday that Moscow positioned more of its troops closer to Ukraine's borders and some airlines canceled or diverted flights to the capital of Kyiv. President Joe Biden spoke for about 50 minutes Sunday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and renewed promises of what the West says will be tough economic sanctions against Moscow and a NATO buildup in the event of “any further Russian aggression” against Ukraine, the White House said. They agreed to pursue both deterrence and diplomacy in the crisis, it added.
IPL 2022 | Auction dynamics were very different and challenging this time: Kumble
Punjab Kings head coach Anil Kumble is extremely satisfied with the new players, including Liam Livingstone and Odean Smith, coming to his franchise during the IPL auction, the dynamics of which were “very different and challenging”. England batter Livingstone fetched a staggering ₹11.50 crore deal from Punjab Kings, who also roped in West Indies fast bowler Smith for ₹6 crore on the second day of the IPL mega auction here on Sunday. “There is absolutely more demand than supply, but I guess there were challenges because there were 10 teams and it was different,” Kumble said.
