A look at the headlines right now:

  1. ‘Selling pakodas is better than being unemployed,’ says Amit Shah in first Rajya Sabha speech: However, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the jobs situation in India was very poor.  
  2. No one should interfere when two adults get married, says chief justice of India: The bench condemned khap panchayats for inciting violence and demanded that the Centre do more to curb honour killings.   
  3. Maldives president declares emergency after top court asks government to release political prisoners: India’s Ministry of External Affairs advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Male and other areas.   
  4. Jasprit Bumrah, Harmanpreet Kaur, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar named in Forbes India Under-30 list: The list of young achievers includes sportspersons, entertainers, finance experts, musicians and chefs, among others.   
  5. Lawyer in SC once again points out contradictions in Maharashtra’s inquiry report on judge Loya’s death: Senior advocate V Giri said the statements of four doctors who were present at the time of the CBI judge’s death had not been verified. 
  6. CBI names 16-year-old student as main accused in Gurugram school murder case: Meanwhile, the court rejected the bail plea of the juvenile accused for the third time.   
  7. Taj Mahal will soon become ‘Tej Mandir’, says BJP MP Vinay Katiyar: Earlier in the day, reports claimed that the theme of the event, which will be held in Agra from February 18, will be Ram.   
  8. There is an ‘unevenness’ in taxes paid by salaried and business people, says finance secretary: Hasmukh Adhia said about 50% of the seven lakh companies filing Income Tax returns show zero or negative income and avoid paying tax.   
  9. State election commissions opposed central poll body’s order on different designs for EVMs, says RTI reply: The state monitors said the directive to two companies to sell voting machines with different designs might confuse voters.   
  10. Lone surviving Paris terror attack suspect goes on trial in Brussels: Salah Abdeslam is being tried not for the 2015 Paris terror attacks, but for attempted murder of police officers in Brussels during his arrest in March 2016.