SUNVILLA SAMACHAR

People of Jammu and Kashmir gave me love, not hand grenades: Rahul

Gandhi on Join India Yatra

Agency News: New Delhi

The concluding ceremony of the Join India Yatra has begun in Srinagar. Meanwhile, this ceremony is being held in the midst of snowfall. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi addressed the people present at the ceremony and said that now the eyes of the country are on Congress. Walking into Kashmir felt like home. Politics of hate does no good. He said that India Yatra got full support. In a public meeting held at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, Rahul Gandhi said that I have learned how to live from Gandhiji. We have to live without fear. How did I walk here for four days? Even if I change the color of my t-shirt to red, it will work. I’m not afraid. As I thought and so it happened. The people of Jammu and Kashmir gave me love, not

Godhra train coach-burning case: SC seeks Gujarat govt’s response on some convicts’ bail pleas

Agency News: New Delhi

Delhi University Renames North Campus Mughal Garden After Gautam Buddha

Agency News: New Delhi hand grenades. Opened heart and gave love. Greeted me with tears of love. Meanwhile, Congress president Mallika Arjun Kharge also said that Rahul’s trip was not election oriented. In the program, the Congress president said that this yatra was organized not to win elections or to advance the Congress party but to raise voice against hatred. Which has been a resounding

Parliament Budget Session

From Tomorrow; President

To Address Both Houses

Agency News: New Delhi

The Budget session of Parliament begins on Tuesday with the maiden address of President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of both Houses. While the government’s priority will be to seek approval on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and the Finance Bill, the Opposition is raring to corner it on a range of issues, including the Adani-Hindenburg row, a nationwide caste-based economic census and the women’s reservation bill. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the last full-fledged Union Budget of the Modi government before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on February 1.

success. It is worth mentioning that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is going to end in Srinagar today. 12 opposition forces have been invited to participate in the closing ceremony organized for it. However, some political parties refused to participate, citing security reasons. Bharat Jodo Yatra was started on September 7 from South India.

Government Allows Private TV Channels To Share Public Service Content

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Gujarat government’s response on the bail pleas of some convicts sentenced to life imprisonment in the 2002 Godhra train coach-burning case. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the matter on behalf of the Gujarat government, that it was not “merely a stone-pelting” case as the convicts had bolted a bogey of the Sabarmati Express, leading to the death of several passengers on the train. ”Some are saying their role was just stone pelting. But when you lock a bogey from outside, light it on fire and then pelt stones, it is not just stone pelting,” the top law officer told the bench, also comprising justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala. “Alright, you examine this. We will list (the bail pleas) after two weeks,” the bench told Mehta. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing in the court on behalf of some of the convicts, said the state government has filed appeals in the cases of certain convicts whose death penalty was commuted to life sentence by the Gujarat High Court. The court then issued a notice to the state government on the bail pleas of Abdul Raheman Dhantia alias Kankatto, Abdul Sattar Ibrahim Gaddi Asla and others. On December 15, the top court had granted bail to convict Faruk, who was serving a life sentence in the 2002 Godhra train coach-burning case.

Hindenburg Research: Attack on India, claim Adanis

Agency News: Mumbai

The Economic Survey will be tabled on Tuesday after the President’s address. The government plans to bring around 36 bills - including four related to the budgetary exerciseduring the session. The session will have 27 sittings and will continue till April 6 with a month-long recess to examine the budget papers. The first part of the session will conclude on February 14. Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session.

Agency News: New Delhi

Granting relaxations, the government on Monday said the 30-minute daily obligatory public service broadcast by private broadcasters could be embedded in programmes telecast by other television channels. In an advisory, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also said the public service broadcast content need not be of 30 minutes at a stretch and could be spread over smaller time slots. “The time for which the public service broadcasting content is telecast in between commercial breaks shall not be accounted for the 12-minute limit for commercial breaks,” the advisory said. The private broadcasters have to submit a monthly report on the Broadcast Seva Portal. In November last year, the ministry had asked the private television channels.

The Adanis have come out swinging in an effort to swat away accusations in a report put out last week by US short-seller Hindenburg Research. The Hindenburg report has threatened to scupper group flagship Adani Enterprises’ Rs 20,000-crore follow-on public offer (FPO) of shares that closes on Tuesday, especially after the stock sank over 18 per cent on the BSE on Friday closing at Rs 2762.15, a little over 11 per cent below the FPO’s floor price of Rs 3112. If the stock fails to rally on Monday, many market experts believe the Adani Enterprises issue will flounder unless the Adanis rework the price band and terms of the share flotation, which they already have refused to do. The 413-page report that the Adanis scrambled to put together over the weekend pours scorn on the New York-based firm’s two-year investigation which it said was riddled by “multiple false narratives”, “misleading claims”, “rhetorical innuendos” and poor understanding of Indian regulations and market practices.

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

Milestone: PM Modi to Inaugurate Sohna-Dausa Stretch on Feb 4

Agency News: Mumbai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday inaugurate the first phase of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway, the Sohna-Dausa stretch, according to the official statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued on Monday. The stretch between Sohna in Haryana and Dausa in Rajasthan will also facilitate those going to Jaipur.

“Going to be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on Feb 4, the Sohna-Dausa stretch of the Delhi-

Mumbai expressway will facilitate commuters to reach Jaipur from Delhi in two hours,” the statement read. So far, people from the two cities, Delhi and Jaipur, were connected by national highway (NH) 48 and the drive takes about four-five hours depending on the traffic situation.

Mughal Garden in Delhi

University’s North Campus has been renamed as ‘Gautam Buddha Centenary’ Garden, an official said on Monday. The garden does not have a Mughal design, was the rationale given by the university behind the rechristening, which was done on January 27. The Rashtrapati Bhavan too had on Saturday changed the name of its famed Mughal Gardens to ‘Amrit Udyan.’ A university official, who did not wish to be named, said that the coinciding of the name change was a matter of chance, and that the varsity had come to the decision after a prolonged discussion with its Garden Committee.

”The competent authority of the University of Delhi has approved the name of the garden (opposite the Vice Regal Lodge) with the statue of Gautam Buddha in its centre as Gautam Buddha Centenary Garden,” said Registrar Vikas Gupta, in a notification dated January 27. The Gautam Buddha statue has been standing in the garden for at least 15 years. The official said the garden was neither built by the Mughals nor has it a Mughal garden design. A typical Mughal garden -- based on Persian architectural design -- features canals and pools along the axes, as well as fountains and waterfalls, and over time also came to incorporate such features as terraces, and water channels lined with concrete or blue tiles.

I will rather die than join hands with BJP: Nitish Kumar

Agency News: Patna

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday asserted that he will “rather die” than realign with the BJP, stung by the saffron party’s decision that there will be no alliance with the “unpopular” JD(U) leader. Kumar made the remark while replying to questions here, from journalists, about the BJP’s decision taken at its two-day state executive meeting that concluded in Darbhanga on the previous day.

”Mar jaana qabool hai lekin unke saath jaana humko kabhi qabool nahin hai, yah yaad rakhiye,” the septuagenarian said on the sidelines of a function organised on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.

Earthquake of 4.2 magnitude hits Gujarat’s Kutch

Agency News: Kutch

An earthquake of 4.2 magnitude hit Gujarat’s Kutch district on Monday morning, the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) said. There was no report of any loss of life or damage to property, district authorities said. The earthquake was recorded at 6.38 am with its epicentre 11 km north-north east of Dudhai village in the district, the Gandhinagar-based ISR said in an update on its website. It was preceded by a tremor of 3.2 magnitude reported at 5.18 am with its epicentre 23 km east-southeast

89806 69994

The earthquake was recorded at 6.38 am with its epicentre 11 km north-north east of Dudhai village, no report of any casualty of Khavda village in the district, the ISR said. Kutch, which is about 400 km away from Ahmedabad, is located in a very high risk seismic zone and earthquakes of low intensity occur there regularly.

All flights at Srinagar airport cancelled amid snowfall

Agency News: Srinagar

All flights to and from Kashmir were cancelled on Monday due to bad weather and moderate to heavy snowfall across the Valley, officials said. The continuous snowfall reduced visibility to below 500 metres, leading to the cancellations of all the 68 scheduled flights at the Srinagar airport. The snowfall started late Sunday night and was still continuing at many places. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was shut for traffic due to the snowfall, and landslides at many places. Train services on the Baramulla-Banihal rail line were also suspended due to the inclement weather.

SUNVILLA SAMACHAR Editorial

How iCET dialogue can be the next chapter in stronger US-India defence, trade ties

DMK Leader Abuses Dalit Man for Entering Temple; BJP Slams Stalin’s ‘Model of Social Justice’

Agency News: Chennai

Adani Row, OBC Census, BBC Documentary Feature in All-party Meeting ahead of Budget Session

Agency News: New Delhi

‘This is How They Waste Precious Time of SC’: Rijiju Slams Petitioners Against Blocking of BBC Documentary

Agency News: New Delhi

The US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies or iCET was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad summit in May 2022. The first meeting of the iCET will take place in Washington D.C. on 31 January between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his counterpart Jake Sullivan. The dialogue presents an opportunity for the two nations to further strengthen the upward trajectory of their defence ties and create momentum in trade. The significance of the iCET lies in its assertion of “outcome-oriented cooperation” as it is led by the two nations’ national security advisors. The dialogue focusses on dual-use and deep technology areas of strategic importance such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, 5G/6G, biotech, space, and semiconductors. Further, the success of a similar initiative called High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG), which was launched in 2002, gives hope too. HTCG started the process of greater strategic cooperation that eventually led to a review of export controls on dual-use technology, thereby increasing bilateral trade. The iCET has a similar opportunity to lay the foundation for the future of US-India strategic engagement and innovation. The iCET has its work cut out for the first meeting. Although no details have been divulged, a sharp focus on high-priority issues surrounding the technology areas outlined is expected. In AI, the US and India can emerge as leaders by establishing norms and standards for ethical AI and data use. India’s space industry is getting liberalised and has been undergoing reforms ever since it was opened up to the private sector. The anticipated space policy and law will further drive reforms. The two countries need to ensure that regulatory uncertainty and export/import controls in the space sector do not culminate in the industry cooperation falling short of its potential.

- Kapilkumar M. Hirpara Editor

Sikkim to File Review Petition in SC on Mention of Sikkimese Nepali Community as Foreigners, Says CM

Agency News: Gangtok

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday said his government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court with a prayer for rectification of its “inadvertent mention of the Sikkimese Nepali community as foreigners” in an order two weeks ago. “Let me reiterate and reassure that no injustice will be meted out to anyone with regard to the inadvertent mention of Sikkimese Nepali Community as foreigners in the observation part and not in the judgment part of the verdict of Hon’ble Apex Court in the matter of income tax exemption for the old settlers of Sikkim,” he said in a social media post. “I express my solidarity not only with Sikkimese Nepali Community but with all the communities of our dear state. We all are one, and will always remain united,” Tamang said. The state government has already initiated steps for filing the review petition for addressing the concerns of the Sikkimese Nepali community, the chief minister said. Tamang said he has already spoken to Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and the latter has assured that the Government of India will support the review petition of the Government of Sikkim, and if required will file a review petition itself as well on similar lines. Tamang appealed to all people to be patient and keep faith in the judiciary. It is just a matter of time that this issue will be addressed for the good of one and all, he said. The Supreme Court in its order dated January 13, 2023,

Gujarat court convicts self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in rape case filed in 2013

Agency News: New Delhi

A court in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar on Monday convicted self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in a woman disciple rape case registered against him in 2013. Sessions court judge DK Soni reserved its order on the quantum of sentence for Tuesday.

The court acquitted six other accused, including Asaram’s wife, due to the lack of evidence. As per the FIR lodged at Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad, Asaram Bapu allegedly raped the woman on several occasions from 2001 to 2006 when she was living at his ashram on the outskirts of the city. “The court has accepted the prosecution case and convicted Asaram under sections 376 2(C) , 377 and other provisions

Avideo has gone viral in which a leader from Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was seen abusing a Dalit youth for allegedly entering a temple. However, the DMK union secretary, Manickam claimed that the youth was drunk and said there is a no ban on Dalits for entering the temple. The incident took place in Salem’s Thirumalaigiri on January 19 when the youth entered a temple. The Vanniyar community maintains the temple which comes under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE). The DMK union secretary was seen threatening the youth, verbally abusing him and repeatedly questioning him as to why he entered the temple, India Today reported. “Who gave you permission to go there? I’ll break your teeth. Yours and your father’s. Do you think you are smart? Don’t you want others to live well here?

Who asked you to go inside?”

Manickam was heard saying. No complaint has been filed in the matter. However, Manickam was suspended by the DMK for acting against its policies and bringing a bad image to the party. Manickam claimed the video was spread with malicious intent and said the Dalit youth was drunk. “There was a function in Mariyamman temple. I left because Udhayanidhi had come over on the day. He was drunk and causing a ruckus. I told them to leave him alone,” he told.“Next day, his people came over to apologise when I told them that this had become routine and questioned them about picking up fights,” he added.

Flight Carrying Maha CM Shinde, Dy CM Fadnavis Returns to Mumbai Due to Bad Weather

Agency News: Mumbai

A state government plane carrying Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to Jalgaon district returned to Mumbai on Monday after it encountered bad weather, an official from the CM’s office said. Shinde and Fadnavis were headed to Jamner in Jalgaon district, located around 415 kilometres from Mumbai, to attend a programme, ‘Banjara

Kumbh 2023’, where Uttar Pradesh

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was a key speaker. The flight took off from Mumbai, but had to return due to inclement weather, the official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said. Shinde and Fadnavis later attended the programme via videoconferencing, he added. A large number of leaders from the Banjara community as well as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionaries were present at the event.

Real-time Source Apportionment Site to Help Take Timely Steps Against Pollution, Says Kejriwal Kejriwal inaugurated the real-time source apportionment supersite at Rouse Avenue and a mobile van

Agency News: New Delhi of the Indian Penal Code for illegal detention, among others,” special public prosecutor RC Kodekar said on Monday. The controversial godman is currently lodged in jail in Jodhpur in another rape case.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said his government will now be able to tackle pollution in a more accurate manner with the launch of the realtime source apportionment site here. Kejriwal inaugurated the real-time source apportionment supersite at Rouse Avenue and a mobile van.

A Surat-based woman had filed a case of rape and illegal confinement against Asaram Bapu and seven others, one of whom died during the pendency of the trial, in October 2013. A chargesheet was filed in July 2014.

Air India urination case: Witnesses not deposing in police favour, says Delhi court reserving order on bail plea

Agency News: New Delhi

The witnesses named by Delhi police in a case against Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on a woman on board an Air India flight from New York to Delhi, are not deposing in the prosecution’s favour, a court here observed on Monday while it reserved its order on his bail application. Additional Sessions Judge Harjyot Singh Bhalla heard the arguments from the counsel appearing for the prosecution and the accused, and said he will pronounce the order on Mishra’s bail application tomorrow “The witness you (Investigation agency) have named are not deposing in your favour... . There is a contradiction in the complainant’s statement and Ila Benarjee’s (witness) statement,” the judge noted during the proceedings. Police opposed the bail application, saying “India has been defamed internationally because of the incident”, to which the judge said, “It may be disgusting but that is another matter, let’s not get into that. Let’s go into how the law deals with it.” The prosecutor also claimed Mishra did not cooperate in the investigation and that he had switched off all his mobile phones. The judge asked how the accused came to know about the FIR in the case, to which the prosecution said it was “through media”. The judge further asked the prosecution how the media knew about the FIR.

“The real-time source apportionment

The forthcoming Budget session of Parliament will be turbulent, if an all-party meeting called by the government on Monday is any indication. While the government believes that the meeting was held in an amicable environment and an appeal was made for smooth functioning of Parliament as it is ready for any discussion, leaders from the opposition parties cited a list of issues that they want taken up.

The Adani row, BBC documentary blocking, OBC-related caste census, bill for 33 per cent women’s reservation, federalism, and unemployment featured on the opposition’s agenda. While the Congress remained absent from the meeting, union minister for parliamentary affairs Pralhad Joshi said that letters were received from the party as its leaders are busy with the Bharat Jodo Yatra and some flights also got cancelled Joshi said that the Budget session will start with the President’s address to both Houses. Then the Budget will be presented, followed by the thanksgiving discussion on the Presidential address. The first phase of the session will go on from January 31 to February 13 and, after a break, the second session will begin on March 13 and go on till April 6. “Today we called an all-party meeting in which 37 leaders from 27 parties participated. There have been many demands and they wanted short-duration discussions and we are ready for it. We had shortduration discussions in the winter session as well where there were two discussions and demands on grants as well. We dedicated 12 to 13 hours to discussing these with the opposition. We are giving clarifications. It was a good environment for this meeting to be held in. We are ready for any discussion. I seek cooperation from all parties,” said Pralhad Joshi.

D K Shivakumar Behind Sleaze Video on Me, Says BJP Leader Ramesh Jarkiholi

Agency News: Belgaum

BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had resigned as Karnataka minister about two years ago owing to a sex scandal, on Monday accused Congress state president D K Shivakumar of being involved in the conspiracy to discredit him, and demanded an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation against the “racket” behind it. Jarkiholi, a powerful minister holding the Water Resources portfolio, had resigned from his post in 2021 owing to the sex scandal, which had embarrassed the state government just ahead of a few states going to polls including West Bengal. The woman, who was at the centre of the controversy, had alleged that the minister allegedly exploited her with the assurance of securing her a government job, a charge denied by Jarkiholi. On Monday, the BJP Gokak MLA said the woman and her accomplices including two people from Mandya should be arrested to bring out the truth in the case. “I demand that the state government should hand over the case to the CBI. The girl should be arrested along with her accomplices, including two people from Mandya, whose names I will disclose before the CBI,” Jarkiholi said in a hurriedly-convened press meet at a private hotel here. The former minister alleged that Congress leader Shivakumar tried to spoil his personal Ife. “D K Shivakumar is unfit to be a politician. No one should spoil someone’s personal life. I never made personal attacks,” the BJP leader charged. The former minister claimed he has evidence to prove that Shivakumar was behind it. supersite will share details of sources of pollution on an hourly basis. The mobile van will go to a particular place and the data collected will be analysed at the supersite. Right now, we are launching one mobile van but soon, we will launch more,” he said. about the real-time pollution sources, the government will be able to tackle the problem in a more accurate way, the chief minister added. Kejriwal said that earlier, the government had to rely on old data on pollution.

Delhi HC sends to SC pleas to recognise same-sex marriages

Agency News: New Delhi

Hitting out at those who moved to the Supreme Court challenging the Centre’s decision to block a BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday held the petitioners responsible for “wasting the precious time of the apex court.” Veteran journalist N Ram, activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan, and others moved the top court challenging the central government’s decision to block the documentary named “India: The Modi Question” on social media. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud took note of the submissions of the petitioners, seeking urgent listing of their separate PILs on the issue. On Twitter, Rijiju responded to a news report and said, “This is how they waste the precious time of Hon’ble Supreme Court where thousands of common citizens are waiting and seeking dates for Justice.”

The PIL also urged the apex court to call and examine the BBC documentary - both parts I and II - and sought action against persons

The plea claimed the BBC documentary has “recorded facts” which are also “evidence” and can be used to further the cause of justice for the victims who were responsible and involved directly and indirectly with the 2002 Gujarat riots. Sharma said that in his PIL he has raised a constitutional question and the top court has to decide whether citizens have the right under Article 19 (1) (2) to see news, facts and reports on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

Naba Das Second Odisha Lawmaker Assassinated Since 2011

Agency News: Bhubaneswar

Odisha’s health and family welfare minister Naba Kishore Das became the first minister in the state to be assassinated in the state and the second lawmaker after the killing of BJD MLA Jagabandhu Majhi by Maoists in 2011. While Das was killed in Jharsuguda district allegedly by a police officer, who is suffering from mental disorder, on January 29, 2023, Majhi died in firing by Maoists during an official function in Nabarangpur district. The Odisha government allocated personal security officers (PSOs) to all lawmakers after Majhi’s killing in 2011, a home department official said. The attack on health minister Das at Gandhi Chhak in Brajarajnagar of Jharsuguda district, reminded people of the vulnerability of public figures in this insurgency hit state. Jagabandu Majhi as the then MLA of Umerkote in Nabarangpur district was distributing land-ownership certificates at a village in his constituency when three unidentified men opened fire on him and his personal security officer (PSO) in September 2011. The legislator and the PSO died in the incident. Involvement of Maoists was suspected in the attack. Similarly, two persons opened fire on the then tourism and culture minister Maheshwar Mohanty while he was driving a scooter back home from a function in Puri town on February 22, 2014. However, Mohanty survived the attack as doctors removed bullets from his left arm and back. Police investigation revealed that the attack was possibly because of a real estate dispute. Former JMM leader and now a BJD MLA Sudam Marandi.

Gorakhnath Temple Attack: Accused Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi gets death penalty from NIA court

Agency News: Gorakhpur

Brawl breaks out over Khalistan referendum in Australia; two injured, many Sikhs detained India has already asked the Australian govt to curb the antiIndia activities of Khalistani separatists and also attacks on the Hindu temples in the country

Agency News: Melbourne (Australia)

Two people were injured and as many Sikh men were detained when two separate brawls broke out between Khalistani activists and pro-India demonstrators here during the so-called ‘Punjab independence referendum’, the police said on Monday. India has already asked the Australian government to curb the antiIndia activities of the Khalistani separatists and also attacks on the Hindu temples in the country.

”Signals that pro-Khalistan elements are stepping up their activities in Australia, actively aided and abetted by members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and other inimical agencies from outside Australia, have been evident for some time,” the Indian High Commission in Canberra said in a strongly-worded statement on January 26. Two men were treated for minor injuries by paramedics on the scene as the police at

Federation Square broke up two brawls between crowds during the voting for the referendum on Sunday. The Victoria Police in a statement said it responded to two incidents throughout the day.

The Delhi High Court on Monday sent to the Supreme Court a batch of petitions seeking to recognise same-sex marriages under various laws. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad passed the order after it was informed by the counsel appearing in the matter that the Supreme Court has transferred to itself all petitions pending in various high courts involving the same issue. In light of the apex court’s January 6 order, the high court bench directed its registry to transfer the case files immediately to the Supreme Court. The high court has been hearing a batch of petitions filed by several same-sex couples seeking a declaration to recognise their marriages under the Special Marriage Act, the Hindu Marriage Act, and the Foreign Marriage Act. Eight petitions have been filed in the high court on the issue. The top court’s five-judge Constitution bench, in a path-breaking unanimous judgement delivered on September 6, 2018, had held that consensual sex among adult homosexuals or heterosexuals in private spaces is not a crime and struck down a part of a British-era penal law which had criminalised it on the grounds that it violated the constitutional right to equality and dignity.

Suryakumar Yadav visits Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath at his residence in Lucknow

Agency News: Lucknow

Star India batsman Suryakumar Yadav and captain Hardik Pandya held their nerves to guide India to a hard-fought 6-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20I encounter at Bharat Ratna

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday. India level three-match T20I series 1-1 with a nervy 6-wicket win. While chasing, India could not accelerate and it took another gritty known from Suryakumar to get them over the line. A day after the match, SKY paid a courtesy visit to UP CM Yogi Adityanath at his Lucknow residence on Monday. Meanwhile, chasing 100, India got off to a bad start as they lost opener Shubman Gill for 11 runs. The duo of Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tripathi then handled the charge as they slammed boundaries at regular intervals. However, the partnership could not stand longer as Ishan Kishan was sent packing after scoring 19 off 32 balls. In the 11th over of the game, Rahul Tripathi was dismissed on the stunning delivery of Ish Sodhi.

A special NIA court on Monday gave the death penalty to Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, who is accused of the 2022 Gorakhnath Temple attack in Lucknow. Abbasi received the death penalty in Section 121 and life imprisonment in Section 307 of the Indian Penal Court. Special Judge in the NIA Court of Lucknow, Vivekanand Sharan Tripathi delivered the judgement in the case. Abbasi, an IIT graduate and a chemical engineer, tried to forcibly enter the famous Gorakhnath Temple from the southern gate on April 3 and attacked security personnel with a sickle. He injured two Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) constables and tried to snatch their rifles after rushing towards the temple’s security post but was overpowered by other security staff. Police arrested Abbasi on the spot. Abbasi was also arrested in 2014 by Bengaluru Police for being in contact with ISIS propaganda activist Mehdi Masroor Biswas. “He was influenced by terror orgs radical preachers & ISIS-terrorism promoters,” the ADG added. Murtaza, a pass out of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai belonged to a respectable family of east UP. While his father is a leading lawyer of Gorakhpur, he too has served in big corporate houses earlier.

Winter rains lash most of state, heavy damage to crops

Agency News: Jaipur

Moderate to heavy rains lashed most parts of Rajasthan during the last 36 hours. Heavy hail storms were reported in Udaipur and adjoining areas. The rain and hailstorm have severely affected the crops of Wheat, Gram and Mustard in more than three lakh hectare area of some districts. The government has ordered a special survey of the damage to crops in the affected areas. As per the Met department, the western disturbance over Afghanistan and adjoining Pakistan has caused rain and hailstorm activity in the state that continued for more than 36 hours in many parts of the state including Jaipur, Sikar, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Dausa, Tonk, Karauli, Bharatpur and Sawai Madhopur. Bhilwara, Nagour and Ajmer received heavy rainfall of up to 78MM at some places. With rains in most parts of the state, hail storms were also reported in the Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur and Banswara districts on Sunday.

Murali Vijay announces retirement from all forms of international cricket

Agency News : New Delhi

Veteran India batter Murali

Vijay called time on his international career at the age of 38. The Tamil Nadu stalwart announced his decision via a statement over Twitter on January 30, Monday, Vijay, who is 38 years of age, turned out in 61 Tests, 17 ODIs and 9 T20I matches in his career spanning 7 years from 2008 to 2015. The Tamil Nadu opener also turned out in 106 IPL matches and scored 2,619 runs at a strikerate of 121.87 with 2 hundreds and 13 fifties. In his IPL career, Vijay turned out for Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab.“Today, immense gratitude and humility, I announce my retirement from all forms of international cricket. My journey from 2002 to 2018 has been the most wonderful years of my life for it was an honour representing India at the highest level of sport,” Murali

Temba Bavuma, David Miller shine for South Africa

Agency News : Bloemfontein

Philips to cut 6,000 more jobs in safety and profitability drive

Agency News : New Delhi

Rupee falls 10 paise to 81.69 against US dollar in early trade

Agency News : New Delhi

Vijay said in a statement issured on social media on Monday.“I am excited to announce that I will be exploring new opportunities in the world of cricket & the business side of it, where I will also continue to participate in the sport that I love and challenge myself in new and different environment. I believe that this is the next step in my journey as a cricketer and I look forward to this new chapter in my life.“I wish all my former teammates and the Indian cricket team all the best for future endeavors,” the statement added.

Hockey Word Cup: Netherlands beat Australia to clinch bronze

Agency News : New Delhi

Captain Thierry Brinkman struck twice as the Netherlands served a superb show of attacking hockey to beat world No.1 Australia 3-1 and clinch the bronze medal in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup here on Sunday. Brinkman struck in the 35th and 40th minutes while penalty corner expert Jip Janssen scored the other goal for Netherlands in the 33rd minute. Australia’s lone goal came from their penalty corner expert Jeremy Hayward in the 13th minute. FIH president

Tayyab Ikram presented the FIH President’s Award to V.K Pandian, secretary, Transformational Initiatives (5T), to the chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik, for his outstanding contribution to hockey. “What we have witnessed here in Odisha in the last two weeks is truly exceptional! Not only the state-of-the-art facilities but also the passion showcased by the Odisha people for hockey has been an absolute delight to experience,” Ikram said, “Together with the chief minister, Pandian has played a pivotal role in making this World .

Captain Temba Bavuma scored his third century in the format while David Miller hit an unbeaten 58 as South Africa beat England by five wickets in the second ODI on Sunday to clinch the three-match series. For England, this was their fifth consecutive loss in ODIs and their worst run since the 2015 World Cup. Put into bat, England rode captain Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 94 and Harry Brook’s 80 to post a formidable 342/7. Moeen Ali also chipped in with 51 while Sam Curran (28) too got some meaty blows in the slog overs. But South Africa, in reply, had the required run rate in control, thanks to skipper Bavuma (109 off 102 balls), who played a superb knock comprising 14 fours and a six. Miller, showing good composure right through, ensured Bavuma’s effort didn’t go in vain.

FIH World Cup: India’s long wait for medal continues

Agency News : New Delhi

In a World Cup of high-quality hockey, the German “culture of resilience” triumphed, ending Belgium’s five-year reign as the most successful team, while hosts India’s nearly five-decade long wait for a medal continued. The Germans made another stunning comeback from a two-goal deficit to beat defending champions Belgium 5-4 in a penalty shootout of a classic summit clash. The two sides were locked 3-3 in the regulation time of 60 minutes on Sunday. This was the third time in the showpiece that Germany had won after trailing 0-2 and their fabled mental strength and neversay-die attitude came to the fore again. They had done so against England in the quarterfinals and against Australia in the semifinals. Germany joined Australia and Netherlands to have clinched the World Cup title three times. Only Pakistan have won the World Cup four times. Germany’s earlier triumphs had come in 2002 and 2006. They were runners-up in 1982 and 2010 and finished sixth and fifth in the 2014 and 2018 editions respectively. The triumph also took Germany to the top of FIH world rankings from the pretournament fourth place. “This triumph is incredible, I don’t have any words to describe this feat,” German coach Andre Henning said after his side’s first title win since 2006. “We came back from 0-2 down in the quarterfinals, semifinals and now in the final. You cannot now say it is luck, it is due to the quality in this team. We had the belief throughout that we can win this World Cup.” Netherlands, who had finished runners-up in the last two editions.

Dutch health technology company Philips will scrap another 6,000 jobs worldwide as it tries to restore its profitability and improve the safety of its products following a recall of respiratory devices that knocked off 70% of its market value. Half of the job cuts will be made this year, the company said on Monday, adding that the other half will be realised by 2025. The new reorganisation brings the total amount of job cuts announced by new Chief Executive Roy Jakobs in recent months to 10,000, or around 13 per cent of Philips’ current workforce.

It also adds to the string of technology-based firms to make layoffs, after companies including Alphabet’s Google, Microsoft, Amazon and German software maker SAP announced thousands of layoffs to cut costs as they brace for tougher economic conditions. Philips shares traded up 5.5 per cent at 0855 GMT, helped by fourth-quarter earnings which were much better than expected.

“There is a significant beat on Q4 and the operational improvement measures are very large,” ING analyst Marc Hesselink said in a note. Jakobs took over the reins of the company last October, as Philips continued to grapple with the fallout from the recall of millions of ventilators used to treat sleep apnoea over worries that foam used in the machines could become toxic.

Paying A High Insurance Premium? Ways To Lower The Amount

Agency News : New Delhi

While the unpredictability in life makes holding a life insurance policy to cover any unfortunate incident necessary, policyholders are finding it hard to cope with the high premiums with the rising inflation. Since letting your policy lapse is not a profitable option, your only option is to lower the premium during the renewal of the policy. We will give you ways you can reduce the cost of premiums significantly. Negotiate with your insurance provider keeping these factors in mind and you will see how you get a substantial discount on the premium. Before applying for a renewal, compare your coverage to other insurances currently on the market. You can switch your insurance carrier if you believe another company is providing you with greater amenities and services than your present insurer. If you mention switching insurance providers, you’ll observe that the existing provider will attempt to tempt you with cheaper options. The money that an insured promises to pay out of pocket while making an insurance claim is called the deductible. This is a fixed amount. The more you increase the deductible, the lower your premium will go. In the event of an unfortunate incident, the deductible must first be paid to the hospital before insurance coverage kicks in. Remove unnecessary add-ons. This unnecessarily increases your premium.