The big news: Bipin Rawat, Covaxin & Covishield makers to get Padma awards, and 9 other top stories
Other headlines: Covid cases dropped in Mumbai and Delhi, and the top court refused to extend the FCRA licences of NGOs that lost their licensing this month.
A look at the biggest headlines right now:
- Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh to get Padma Vibhushan: Bharat Biotech founders Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella, and Managing Director of the Serum Institute of India Cyrus S Poonawalla will receive the Padma Bhushan.
- Karnataka records 41,400 new Covid-19 cases, discharges exceed daily infections: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Covid-19 curbs in the national Capital will soon be lifted as the city’s positivity rate was dropping fast.
- Supreme Court refuses to extend foreign funding licences of non-profit organisations: The petitioner had asked the court to exempt humanitarian organisations from the purview of FCRA as long as Covid-19 continues to be a ‘notified disaster’.
- Covid crisis has shown that Indians are connected as one family, says president in R-Day eve address: Ram Nath Kovind also said that the guiding principles of the Preamble form the bedrock on which the country stands.
- Former Union minister RPN Singh switches from Congress to BJP: Singh was in the Congress’ star campaigner for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections list released on Monday.
- Promise of ‘irrational freebies’ before polls ‘a serious issue’, SC tells Centre, election panel: The court has asked the government and the Election Commission to respond to a plea filed by a BJP leader within four weeks.
- Have been getting hate mails for my stance on marital rape, amicus curiae Rebecca John tells HC: John has been assisting the Delhi High Court with a batch of petitions demanding criminalisation of marital rape.
- Judges should think about language they use to criticise Election Commission, says law minister: Kiren Rijiju also claimed that some people attempting to defame the poll body were actually trying to discredit India’s democracy.
- Kerala HC rejects appeal challenging Modi’s photo on Covid vaccine certificate: On December 21, the High Court had rejected the activist’s petition against the prime minister’s picture on the certificates and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
- Over 61 crore students adversely affected by school closures, says Unicef: Apart from learning loss, closing down of schools have also impacted children’s mental health and their access to nutritional food, said the UN agency.