The big news: FM announces ‘world’s largest healthcare programme’ in Budget, and 9 other top stories
Other headlines: The Congress swept to victory in all three bye-poll seats in Rajasthan, and the top court’s chief justice introduced a subject-wise roster.
A look at the headlines in the sector:
- Arun Jaitley presents Budget 2018 with healthcare plan for 50 crore people, higher crop prices for farmers: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Budget “development-friendly”, but the Opposition criticised it.
- Congress wins all three bye-poll seats in Rajasthan, TMC wins Naopara and Uluberia in Bengal: The Congress won the Mandalgarh Assembly constituency by 12,976 votes, the Ajmer Lok Sabha seat by 84,414 votes and Alwar by 1,96,496 votes.
- Chief justice introduces new subject-wise roster system in the Supreme Court, will hear PILs himself: Four senior top court judges had claimed that Dipak Misra had assigned important cases arbitrarily.
- Arun Jaitley announces Gobar Dhan scheme for managing cattle dung: Presenting the 2018 Budget, the finance minister also set a fiscal deficit target of 3.3%, said the Centre would crack down on cryptocurrencies and increased customs duty on mobile phones.
- UN special envoy to Myanmar says military operations against Rohingya ‘bear hallmarks of a genocide’: Yanghee Lee said reports of mass graves found in villages must be examined.
- SC Collegium makes public its recommendations of Justice Joseph, advocate Indu Malhotra to top court: The collegium also published the names it has recommended for appointment to the chief justice position in 10 high courts.
- Alwar Police file cow smuggling charges against Pehlu Khan’s aides and two others: The police claimed that they failed to produce the receipt from the cattle market they said they visited or the transport permit for the animals.
- Jammu and Kashmir government says it cannot pay compensation to man used as a ‘human shield’: Paying Farooq Ahmad Dar would be akin to condemning the Army officer accused of strapping him to a jeep without actually hearing him, the state said.
- Senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha says he will not quit party, dares it to expel him: The government has created an atmosphere of terror in the country instead of addressing problems with the economy, the former finance minister said.
- Poland approves bill that bans any suggestion of its role in Holocaust atrocities: The legislation has drawn criticism from Israel and United States.