The Morning Standard - January 25, 2025

In this issue

January 25, 2025

Oppn MPs suspended for a day from Waqf panel

The meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf Amendment Bill witnessed unruly scenes on Friday after 10 Opposition MPs were suspended for a day amid accusations against chairman Jagdambika Pal of being partisan during the meeting.

1 min

Kejriwal, BJP trade charges on law and order, corruption

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday reiterated that despite repeated requests, the home ministry continues to ignore the deteriorating law and order situation in the capital, where \"gang wars are taking place on the streets\".

1 min

Bill to rein in microfinancing companies in K'taka soon

The state government is planning to formulate 'Karnataka Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Money Lending) Bill' to rein in microfinance companies.

1 min

'I'm son of Amanatullah, don't need licence or RC'

THE Delhi Police has booked the son of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for allegedly flouting traffic rules and misbehaving with cops and has fined ₹20,000 for multiple violations, including riding without a helmet, reckless driving, and using a motorcycle with a modified silencer.

1 min

8 killed, 7 injured in blast at Maha ordnance factory

Effects of explosion felt in nearby areas; 2nd blast in an ordnance factory in recent months

1 min

Festival of democracy begins: 103-yr-old, 92-yr-old former RBI official vote from home

VOTERS aged 85+ and Persons with Disabilities exercised their franchise from their homes on Friday as the Election Commission provided a home voting facility for the February 5 assembly elections in the capital.

1 min

Trump begins mass deportation drive

THE new US administration under Donald Trump has started deporting undocumented immigrants, the White House said on Friday.

1 min

After AAP, now Punjab Cong adds muscle to party's capital campaign

Not only are the 300 leaders of Punjab AAP campaigning for their party candidates in the national capital, but the Punjab Congress has also mobilised its leadership, with approximately 250 members actively canvassing and criticising the ruling party in Delhi.

1 min

Thakur takes on AAP, calls ruling party 'anti-women'

WITH less than two weeks left for the Delhi Assembly elections, BJP MP Anurag Thakur Friday launched a scathing attack on the ruling AAP, calling it a \"mahila virodi\" (anti-women) party.

1 min

Showering sops as MCD announces discounts to raise turnout

In an attempt to boost turnout, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has come up with more sops and announced a series of offers and discounts for casting votes. These are being offered by various different zones of the civic body in partnership with the hospitality and business sectors.

1 min

EC rate card: ₹35/plate for chole bhature & ₹6/tea

AHEAD of the polls, the Election Commission (EC) has outlined the maximum rates that candidates can spend on various items for their campaign activities. These rates vary by district, with South Delhi and Central Delhi having their own specific prices.

1 min

Atishi smells 'conspiracy to kill Kejriwal', says BJP and cops hand-in-glove

CHIEF Minister Atishi and her Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann have written to the Election Commission (EC) demanding the restoration of security cover for AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal provided by the Punjab Police that was withdrawn.

1 min

AAP lodges complaint, says Bidhuri set up office within 80 mts of booth

AAM Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday lodged a complaint against BJP's Kalkaji candidate Ramesh Bidhuri, accusing him of violating the model code of conduct by setting up his election office within 80 metres of a polling booth in Govindpuri ahead of the polls.

1 min

Poll authorities rope in students to remind parents to vote

AHEAD of Delhi Assembly polls, the election authorities in the national capital have launched an initiative, ‘Sankalp Patra’, that aims to motivate parents to vote through schoolchildren.

1 min

Excise teams seize 20,000 illicit liquor bottles worth ₹50 lakh after poll code

THE Delhi government’s excise department has seized nearly 20,000 bottles of illicit liquor worth ₹50 lakh over the last fortnight, since the Model Code of Conduct for the Assembly polls came into force, officials said on Friday.

1 min

A ministry for Purvanchalis: Cong

Party accuses BJP, AAP of exploiting the community as vote bank without addressing their needs

1 min

Max temp touches 23.7 °C, air quality 'moderate'

THE city woke up to a thin layer of fog on Friday morning as the foggy weather again led to extended flight delays at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, causing inconvenience to air travellers.

1 min

HC upholds order against petition seeking AIMIM's de-registration

THE high court has dismissed an appeal challenging the recognition of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) as a political party, upholding its registration by the Election Commission (EC).

1 min

CAG reports: HC refuses to order spl Assembly session

THE Delhi High Court on Friday refrained from ordering a special session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly for tabling 14 Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports.

1 min

Domestic violence: HC denies bail to woman accused of assaulting husband

THE high court recently emphasised the principle that gender cannot dictate leniency in cases of domestic violence, asserting that men, too, can be victims of cruelty in marital relationships.

1 min

Police issue traffic advisory for R-Day celebrations

DELHI Police has issued a traffic advisory for Republic Day celebrations informing commuters about the restrictions and diversions of traffic on several stretches of the city ahead of the R-Day parade.

1 min

IIT launches innovation centre in tie-up with B'luru institute

The Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) of IIT Delhi, i.e. IHFC, is collaborating with ten prestigious Institutes in India to establish Co-Innovation Centres (CIC).

1 min

Olive Ridley turtle deaths jump to 900, TN to cancel licence of violating trawlers

AS many as 50 Olive Ridley turtle carcasses washed up ashore on Friday, many of which were mothers, their bodies still carrying hundreds of unlaid eggs, as in-situ necropsy revealed.

1 min

T'gana orders CID probe into kidney transplant ring

HEALTH minister Damodar Rajanarasimha ordered a CID probe into the kidney transplant racket at Alaknanda Hospital in Saroornagar.

1 min

K'taka govt to reply to guv for returning bills

THE Karnataka government has decided to give clarification to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, with regard to certain bills that were returned by the latter.

1 min

Protests erupt after tiger kills Kerala tribal woman, 'man-eater' alert sounded

ENRAGED local residents held protests after a tribal woman was killed in a tiger attack near Priyadarshani Estate at Mananthavady in Kerala's Wayanad district, on Friday.

1 min

YSRCP MP Vijayasai, key aide to Jagan, retires from active politics

IN a major setback to the YSRCP, party Rajya Sabha MP V Vijayasai Reddy announced his resignation from politics.

2 mins

Inquiry panel in Munambam land dispute looks like eyewash: HC

THE Kerala High Court on Friday observed that appointment of a commission headed by Justice CN Ramachandran Nair to inquire into the Munambam land issue looks like an eyewash.

1 min

Naidu puts AP wishlist before FM

CM seeks Centre support to expedite works of Polavaram irrigation project, capital Amaravati

1 min

Rural economy top focus of budget 2025-26, says Majhi

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on friday said the 2025-26 budget will focus on strengthening rural economy by fulfilling the aspirations and needs of deprived sections.

1 min

TECH US TO THE FUTURE

PONGAL in Tamil Nadu is the time during which people in several other parts of India serenade the late winter winds by flying kites and celebrate the Sun's movement northwards.

3 mins

THE FOUNDING MOTHERS OF OUR CONSTITUTION

Though they were vastly outnumbered by men and often faced derision, the women in the Constituent Assembly fought hard to ensure some of our most cherished rights

4 mins

REFORM TAX LAWS IN BUDGET TO REDUCE COST OF COMPLIANCE

THE Union Budget is just round the corner and expectations are peaking over cuts in the personal income tax rates.

1 min

Plot Skills Map Before Reforming Higher Edu

INDIAN students studying abroad are getting increasingly caught in geopolitical crossfires. A few years ago, thousands of students had to be repatriated from places as far-flung as Beijing and Canada. It depended on diplomatic prowess when Justin Trudeau followed by Donald Trump won their second terms.

1 min

'Economic ties between India & US very special'

AMID US President Donald Trump's tariff threats, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that India and the US share a strong, multifaceted relationship and that the economic ties are 'very special'.

1 min

India takes up ‘Emergency' with UK

Says freedom of expression can’t be selective following reports of movie screening disruption

1 min

Election management bodies of 13 countries adopt Delhi declaration

THE chiefs and delegates of election management bodies from 13 countries on Friday adopted 'Delhi Declaration' at an international event hosted by the Election Commission of India (EC).

1 min

'NMC yet to act on colleges over unpaid stipend'

RESPONDING to an RTI reply, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has refused to share the action it has taken against 198 medical colleges and institutions that have not paid stipends to undergraduate interns, postgraduate residents, and senior residents.

2 mins

Job security for ICC members important: SC

THE Supreme Court on Friday termed the plea for job security for members of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) in private sector companies dealing with workplace sexual harassment as “important” and asked the Solicitor General of India for assistance.

1 min

Field appraisal finds gaps? Negative mark for cities in Swachh Survekshan

With an aim to make a robust mechanism for recognising efforts for sanitation improvement across states under annual Swachh Survekshan, the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) will penalise authorities if details of progress claimed don't match with field assessment.

1 min

Karpoori a messiah of social justice: Dhankhar

VICE-PRESIDENT (V-P) Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday hailed former Bihar chief minister and veteran socialist leader Karpoori Thakur as a messiah of social justice and said the political stalwart never promoted dynastic politics.

1 min

Over 80K kg drugs destroyed in Ujjain cement factory

IN what could perhaps be the highest of its kind, around 80,000 kg of narcotic drugs seized in seven districts of Ujjain region in Madhya Pradesh in a year, were incinerated in 16 hours at a cement factory in Neemuch district of the state.

1 min

In a 1st, Jammu girl to lead NCC cadets parade

A girl from Jammu has scripted history by becoming the first J&K native who will lead the All India National Cadet Corps (NCC) girls contingent as parade commander at the Kartavya Path Parade in New Delhi on Republic Day 2025.

1 min

Valley peaceful ahead of R-Day

Despite significant dip in militancy, multi-tier security arrangements put in place in J&K

1 min

1989-batch IAS Pankaj Joshi new chief secy

THE Gujarat government has officially appointed IAS officer Pankaj Joshi as the state’s new Chief Secretary, ending months of speculation about leadership succession.

1 min

Marriages are made in heaven: A Guwahati way

A group of women helped 65-year-old Jayaprabha get ready for the wedding.

2 mins

What did Pawar do as agri minister for 10 yrs, asks Shah

UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday attacked NCP (SP) presid ent Sharad Pawar, saying he failed to do anything for the cooperative sector during his 10-year tenure as the agriculture minister in the UPA government at the Centre.

1 min

Elephant, on hunt for food, dies of suffocation after falling into well

IN a tragic incident, the leader of an elephant herd, who had strayed into a village in Jharkhand's Bokaro while looking for food, died after fall-ing into a well late Thursday night. The elephant died from suffocation in the narrow well.

1 min

Resolution tabled in US House to give Don 3rd term

A Republican lawmaker has introduced a House Joint Resolution to amend the US Constitution to allow a president to be elected for up to three terms, a move aimed at facilitating a third term for US President Donald Trump.

1 min

Trump orders release of all classified files on JFK killing

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking to declassify files on the assassinations of President John F Kennedy, Senator Robert F Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

1 min

Don sets up cryptocurrency working group

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to form an internal working group on crypto aimed at making America the world capital in crypto.

1 min

FROM AFGHANISTAN TO AL-SHAMISTAN

What really happened in Syria? Waiel Awwad paints the last hours of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in startling light, on the war-torn canvas of West Asia

4 mins

New fires erupt in California's San Diego

EVACUATION orders were lifted on Thursday for tens of thousands of firefighters with air support slowed the spread of a huge wildfire churning through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, but new blazes erupted in San Diego County, briefly triggering more evacuations.

1 min

Israel to miss deadline to withdraw from Lebanon

ISRAEL announced on Friday that the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon would continue beyond the 60day period stipulated in a November ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

1 min

DLF profit increases 61% to ₹1,059 cr; sees record pre-sales

Real estate company DLF on Friday reported a 61% increase in its consolidated profit to ₹1,058.73 crore for the quarter ending December while sale bookings hit an all-time high of 12,093 crore driven by its super luxury project 'The Dahlias' in Gurugram.

1 min

Shriram Finance net profit grows 14.4% to 2,080 crore

Shriram Finance, the flagship company of Chennai-based Shriram Group, on Friday reported 14.4% year-on-year growth in standalone net income from operations at ₹2,080.4 crore in the December quarter.

1 min

IndiGo Q3 profit falls 18% to ₹2,449 crore on forex loss

The country's largest airline IndiGo's profit after tax fell 18.3% to 2,448.8 crore in third quarter of current financial year due to foreign exchange loss even as revenue grew on higher capacity and passenger traffic.

1 min

SWAMIH investment fund completes 50,000 homes

THE Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) investment fund has achieved a milestone by completing 50,000 homes and aspires to deliver 20,000 homes every year for next three years.

1 min

Venu Lambu LTIMindtree's new chief exec

THE country's sixth largest IT firm LTIMindtree has announced the appointment of former president Venugopal Lambu as CEO designate.

1 min

Southern states fall behind in fiscal health; Andhra, Kerala at the bottom

MOST South Indian states have been performing poorly in managing their finances, Niti Aayog's Financial Health Index 2025 showed.

1 min

Biggest-ever India contingent at WEF meet

WITH Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, CR Patil, D Kumarswamy, Chirag Paswan, and Jayant Chaudhary leading the central delegation along with the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana and senior ministers from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal and Uttar Pradesh participating in the World Economic Forum meet, the country made the biggest-ever presence at Davos this time.

1 min

Start-ups expect simplified tax regime

WITH the abolition of angel tax in the previous budget, the country's start-up ecosystem saw a boost in early-stage investments, and now in the upcoming budget, they expect tax reforms, simplification of ESOP (employee stock option plans) taxation and extended tax holidays.

1 min

Adanis deny revocation of power purchase deal by SL

Clarification comes amid reports that SL govt revoked power project

1 min

SC stays order in Tiger Global treaty abuse case

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Delhi High Court order granting Tiger Global fund relief in a treaty 'abuse' case.

1 min

Jadeja's 12-fer helps Saurashtra trounce Delhi

RAVINDRA Jadeja added another seven wickets to his first innings five-for as Saurashtra earned a 10-wicket victory inside two days of their Ranji Trophy match on Friday.

1 min

VISITORS AIMING TO BREAK SPIN SHACKLES

Varun Co will challenge England batters at Chepauk on Saturday

2 mins

Djokovic retires injured mid-match

NOVAK Djokovic retired injured from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev on Friday and left the court to boos, with defending champion Jannik Sinner to face the German for the title.

1 min

UWW threatens to suspend WFI due to political interferences

Once again the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) might get suspended by the international governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW) throwing the sport into further disarray in the country. The reason this time could be interference by the public and political authorities with the international affairs of the WFI.

2 mins

TUNED TO INDIA

Sitar maestro and son of legendary sitarplayer Vilayat Khan, Hidayat Husain Khan, drops a fresh rendition of the national anthem with his composition 'Jai Hind' ahead of Republic Day. It's a showcase for Indian classical music in an age of fusion & remixes.

3 mins

Priyanka Chopra's divine calling

THE Chilkur Balaji Temple near Hyderabad, often referred to as the 'Visa Balaji Temple' is back in the news with actor and producer Priyanka Chopra visiting the temple seeking blessings ahead of a new chapter in her life.

1 min

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