A look at the headlines right now:

  1. SC dismisses West Bengal government’s plea, refuses to stay CBI probe into Narada sting operation: The apex court also extended the agency’s 72-hour deadline to a month to complete its preliminary inquiry. 
  2. Aadhaar may be made compulsory to file IT returns, PAN card applications: The Centre has included the proposal in the Finance Bill, which is awaiting the president’s assent.
  3. Settle Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute through negotiations outside court, suggests SC: The court will appoint a mediator if the parties involved fail to reach a consensus, the bench said.
  4. Rahul Gandhi should step down if he has lost interest in the party, says Kerala Youth Congress leader: In a Facebook post, CR Mahesh noted that the Congress was getting ‘uprooted’ across the country and urged senior member AK Antony to speak up on the matter.
  5. Cash transaction limit may be lowered from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 2 lakh, says revenue secretary: The Centre’s Finance Bill, which needs the president’s approval, has proposed penalising violators with fines, Hasmukh Adhia said.
  6. What I do after 6 pm is nobody’s business, says Sidhu after Punjab CM seeks legal advice on his TV show: His wife, however, said he will abide by the law and would quit ‘The Kapil Sharma Show’ if need be.
  7. Gender equality is a ‘Zionist plot’ to destroy society, says Iran’s supreme leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said women should consider Prophet Mohamed’s daughter their role model instead of following the views of the West.
  8. Delhi Police say no Islamic State link found in Najeeb Ahmad’s case so far: A report had earlier claimed that Ahmad had been browsing information on how to join the extremist group the day before he went missing.
  9. After SC criticism, Centre to decide on deadline to deposit old notes in two days: The RBI had refused to allow the public to exchange the scrapped currency after December 31 even though Narendra Modi had announced a March 31 deadline.
  10. Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai are among the world’s top 10 cheapest places to live, finds report: For the fourth time, Singapore retained its status as the most expensive city in the Worldwide Cost of Living 2017 report.