If the Budget makes no big announcements on new schemes, projects, or tax giveaways, the government would face a major political dilemma as it may have to reluctantly consider shunning the practice of unveiling pre-election sops to woo voters, notes A K Bhattacharya.
The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the budget preparation process for Interim Union Budget 2024, was held in North Block on Wednesday in the presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad was also present. A customary halwa ceremony is performed every year before the "lock-in" process of Budget preparation begins.
Bangladesh police have filed a case against deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 72 others on charges of hatching a conspiracy to overthrow the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus by waging a civil war, officials and media reports said on Saturday.
A PCB official said due to time constraints between the ICC Champions Trophy and New Zealand tour, Aaqib Javed will continue as interim head coach.
The Delhi High Court has ordered Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, alias Engineer Rashid, to deposit Rs 4 lakh with the prison authorities as travel expenses for attending Parliament. The court allowed Rashid to attend the ongoing Parliament session "in-custody" till April 4, but the NIA had raised concerns about him being a flight risk. Rashid has been lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him in a 2017 terror-funding case.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) moved the Delhi High Court on Thursday and accused an YouTube advertisement of disparaging its trademark.
The Supreme Court of India has sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition challenging the blocking of the YouTube channel '4PM'. The petitioner, Sanjay Sharma, the Editor of the channel, alleges that the blocking order, issued by an intermediary based on an undisclosed direction from the Centre, violates his right to free speech and the public's right to information. The plea argues that the blocking was based on vague grounds of 'national security' and 'public order' without any opportunity to be heard. The court has issued notices to the Centre and others seeking their responses on the petition.
Former Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie has claimed that he is still waiting on some remuneration from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The 24th CPI(M) Party Congress commenced in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, with interim coordinator Prakash Karat emphasizing the need for Left unity to combat "Hindutva neo-fascism." He criticized the BJP-RSS government, accusing it of representing a "Hindutva-corporate nexus" and displaying "neo-fascist characteristics." Other Left leaders, including CPI general secretary D Raja and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, echoed calls for unity and condemned the current political climate in India.
Gensol Engineering, the beleaguered firm that came under market regulator Sebi's lens for fund diversions and governance lapses, said that its independent director Arun Menon has resigned with immediate effect.
India has exempted Bangladeshi exports to Nepal and Bhutan as such trade facilitation is mandatory for landlocked countries under the framework of provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
There is a "high possibility" of a meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, a senior official said. The meeting comes amid strained ties between the two countries, marked by India's concerns over violence against Hindus and a rise of hardline Islamist forces in Bangladesh. Yunus's recent comments about India's northeastern states being landlocked and Bangladesh being the "only guardian of the ocean" in the region have drawn sharp reactions from Indian politicians. However, a Bangladesh official insists that Yunus's statement was misinterpreted.
The apex court had relaxed the interim bail conditions imposed on Mishra by the trial court on January 25. Mishra was asked not to stay either in Uttar Pradesh or in Delhi during the period.
The Committee of Management, Shahi Jama Masjid, moved the high court challenging the suit and the Sambhal court order which directed the survey through an advocate commissioner.
The summons was issued on Tuesday and Kamra (36) was asked to appear at the Khar police station where a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him last month, they said.
A bench of the Bangladesh High Court ordered the release on bail of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested in November on charges of defaming the country's national flag. The two-judge bench granted the bail after a final hearing on their previous rule asking authorities why he should not be granted bail. Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on November 25.
Responding to Arvind Kejriwal's recent announcement of ten guarantees to the people, Amit Shah said the AAP leader's comments need not be taken seriously as the party is contesting only 22 Lok Sabha seats.
According to sources aware of developments in the Board, a few players are contemplating if they should travel to New Zealand.
IndusInd Bank MD and CEO Sumant Kathpalia on Tuesday resigned with immediate effect, taking moral responsibility of accounting lapses in the derivatives portfolio, having financial implication of Rs 1,960 crore to the bank.
Army troops in Bangladesh intensified their patrols on the streets of Dhaka as the country witnessed rising tensions with the newly formed student-led National Citizen Party (NCP) accusing the military of political interference. The NCP staged protest rallies at the premier Dhaka University campus vowing to thwart at any cost a military-backed plot to rehabilitate deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League which was toppled seven months ago in a student-led violent street protest in July-August last year. A key leader of NCP, which was floated last month with widely assumed blessings of Professor Muhammad Yunus, accused the military of political interference over a proposal for inclusiveness that would allow Awami League to participate in the next elections. The military, which is now entrusted with maintaining nationwide law and order with magistracy power, however, did not enter the campus but continued their intensified patrol, particularly in the capital. The NCP convenor Nahid Islam said at the Muslim fast-breaking iftar party that the army or any other state institution had no "authority to propose or make decisions" about politics. He added that in no way "we will allow installation of another 1/11 government" in the country.
Inter Kashi to appeal the decision to CAS.
A Russian missile struck a warehouse belonging to an Indian pharmaceutical company, Kusum, in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian embassy in India. The embassy alleged that Russia, despite claiming a "special friendship" with India, deliberately targeted Indian businesses in Ukraine. The strike reportedly destroyed medicines intended for children and the elderly. This incident follows a similar attack on a major pharmaceuticals warehouse in Kyiv, which was destroyed by Russian drones, as reported by the UK's ambassador to Ukraine. Kusum Healthcare, the company whose warehouse was hit, has a presence in 29 countries, including Ukraine. This attack comes amidst ongoing tensions in the region as Russia continues its offensive against Ukraine, despite US efforts to push for a ceasefire. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of being the sole obstacle to peace and claimed that Moscow rejected a US-brokered proposal for a ceasefire.
Comedian Kunal Kamra has revealed that he was approached to be a contestant on the reality show "Bigg Boss", but he declined the offer. Kamra, known for his anti-establishment views, is currently facing multiple FIRs for his comments and has been embroiled in controversy over his recent stand-up show "Naya Bharat". He shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation with someone claiming to be handling casting for the show, where he stated that he would "much rather check into a mental hospital" than participate. It remains unclear whether the offer was for the 19th season of "Bigg Boss" or the fourth season of its OTT version.
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur's bid to contest the Boxing Federation of India's presidential election was reinstated by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
Virat Kohli: The one who forced Gen-Z to fall in love with Red and Whites
Podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia has filed an undertaking in the Supreme Court stating he will maintain decency in his shows. The undertaking was filed after the court allowed him to resume his podcast "The Ranveer Show" on March 3, subject to maintaining "morality and decency." Allahbadia, popularly known as BeerBiceps, was booked for his comments on parents and sex on comic Samay Raina's YouTube show "India's Got Latent." The Supreme Court previously called his comments "vulgar" and said he had a "dirty mind" which put society to shame.
The US spy chief, now in India, earlier on Monday said the "longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his administration."
The debt-ridden IL&FS group has discharged Rs 45,281 crore to its creditors as of March 2025, completing the resolution of its 197 entities, according to the latest status report affidavit filed before the insolvency appellate tribunal NCLAT. This is 18.9 per cent higher than Rs 38,082 crore, the amount of debt that stood resolved from the last status report filed by IL&FS six months before on October 28, 2024.
Three separate cases have been filed against Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra at Khar police station over his alleged controversial remarks about Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Before surrendering, Kejriwal paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Raj Ghat, offered prayers at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place and addressed Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers at the party office.
The team management and selectors have faced backlash over squad selection for the Champions Trophy.
More than 1,000 people died in two days of clashes between Syrian security forces and allied forces and supporters of ousted President Bashar Assad, DW reported a war monitoring group as stating.
The Supreme Court of India began hearing a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, asked both sides to address whether the court should entertain the petitions or relegate them to the high court. The hearing is underway with senior advocate Kapil Sibal arguing for the petitioners. The act, which was passed by Parliament following heated debates, has been challenged by various parties including AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
One of the lawyers of the chief minister said that they will be seeking urgent listing of the petition on Monday.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel has reportedly been removed as the interim head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) by the Trump administration in the US, which has replaced him with Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll, the Washington Post said on Thursday.
An Air India passenger allegedly urinated on a fellow traveller during a flight from Delhi to Bangkok on Wednesday. Air India has reported the incident to the authorities (DGCA) and is investigating the matter. The airline has also stated that its crew followed all laid down procedures in handling the situation and offered assistance to the aggrieved passenger.
The Bombay High Court expressed concerns about allowing a 36-year-old divorced woman to undergo surrogacy, questioning if it could lead to commercialization of the practice. The court also emphasized the rights of the child born through surrogacy, not just the woman seeking it. The court adjourned the case indefinitely, suggesting the petitioner approach the Supreme Court, which is already dealing with related matters.
The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded the central government for failing to implement a cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims. The court expressed its concern over the delay in formulating the scheme, which is designed to provide immediate medical care to accident victims within the crucial "golden hour." The court highlighted that despite a statutory provision requiring the scheme's implementation, the government has not taken any action, prompting the court to intervene. The court also criticized the General Insurance Council (GIC) for raising objections to the scheme and delaying its implementation. The court has now directed the government to notify the scheme within a week and has scheduled a hearing on the matter for May 13.
Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal's cancer was at a preliminary stage and not life threatening, a special court said here on Thursday while refusing to grant him interim bail on medical grounds. The court, however, permitted Goyal, arrested in a money laundering case, to undergo cancer treatment at a hospital of his choice for two months. Goyal (74), who is lodged in Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, had sought to be released on interim bail to undergo treatment for cancer.
Deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has issued a strong warning against threats to ban her Awami League party, calling the demands "audacious" and accusing Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus of being a "fraud" and "corrupt" for his role in the current interim government. Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August 2024 following a student-led uprising, claims Yunus assumed power through a "meticulous design" with funding from overseas and misled students and people. She asserts that her Awami League is the legitimate party, with a strong history of fighting for the people's rights, and accuses Yunus and his supporters of having no constitutional basis or people's mandate to rule the country.
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