Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria appointed new Air Force chief

Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria was appointed the new chief of Indian Air Force on Thursday, said the Ministry of Defence. He is the vice chief of air staff at present and will take charge of the Air Force on September 30 after BS Dhanoa retires.

Access to internet is a fundamental right under the Constitution, says Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court on Thursday held that access to the internet was a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution, Bar and Bench reported. Based on the ruling, the court struck down rules framed by the Sree Narayana College in Kozhikode, which had prohibited inmates of the girls’ hostel from using their mobile phones between 6 pm and 10 pm.

India meets preferential trade status criteria, US withdrew it unilaterally: Foreign secretary

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Thursday said the United States unilaterally withdrew the preferential trade treatment for India under the Generalised System of Preferences programme, reported ANI. The US government had terminated India’s designation as a beneficiary in June, claiming it had not assured the US that it would “provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets”.

Nirav Modi’s judicial custody extended till October 17, extradition trial scheduled for May 2020

A court in United Kingdom on Thursday sent diamond merchant Nirav Modi, who is the key accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, to judicial custody till October 17, PTI reported. Modi made an appearance in the Westminister Magistrates’ Court in London through videolink from Wandsworth prison in Southwest London, where he has been lodged since his arrest on March 19.

Economy is not in crisis, claims Prakash Javadekar, says Centre is taking steps to boost economy

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday claimed the country was not facing any economic crisis. “We are not in any crisis,” he said. “Some reactions from non-banking financial companies are there. But we are addressing all issues.”

Sensex falls to six-month low, Nifty declines due to heavy selling in banking, metal and IT sectors

Indian markets fell sharply on Thursday, with heavy selling in the banking, metal and information technology stocks in particular. The BSE Sensex slumped 470.41 points, falling to its lowest level in over six months, closing at 36,093.47. The National Stock Exchange Nifty declined 135.85 points to close at 10,704.80.

Maharashtra: ‘Hug each Kashmiri, create a new paradise there,’ PM Modi says at Nashik rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked people to make efforts to create a “new paradise” in Jammu and Kashmir. He made the remarks at a rally in the city of Nashik in Maharashtra.

INX Media case: P Chidambaram’s judicial custody extended till October 3 by CBI court

A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Delhi on Thursday extended Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s judicial custody till October 3.

‘Genuine voters have been left out’ of NRC, Mamata Banerjee tells Amit Shah in a meeting

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about the National Register of Citizens with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday. The two met at Shah’s office in the North Block a day after Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke about the proposal to change the name of her state, and other matters.

Madhya Pradesh: BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur calls media dishonest, journalists demand apology

Bhopal MP Pragya Singh Thakur called journalists dishonest on Tuesday, attracting criticism from local journalists who demanded an apology and asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to expel her. Thakur made the comments when local reporters asked her for a reaction on several matters in the state.

Nirmala Sitharaman responds to Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s tweet, says she is working on reviving growth

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday responded to businesswoman Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s tweet asking why the ban on e-cigarettes, approved the day before by the Cabinet, was not announced by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. The Biocon chairperson also asked why the finance minister had also not announced measures to revive the economy. The government on Thursday issued an ordinance to ban e-cigarettes.

Tamil Nadu: Artefacts dated to 580 BCE hint at script continuity from Indus Valley Civilisation

Artefacts found at the archaeological site in Keezhadi, about 12 km from Madurai in Tamil Nadu, have been dated to 580 BCE, with “graffiti marks” on them pointing to a possible continuity in script from the Indus Valley Civilisation. The findings were made in a report by a team that conducted excavations at the site.

Ayodhya dispute: SC closes contempt case against man for threatening lawyer of Muslim parties

The Supreme Court on Thursday closed the contempt case against a Chennai professor for threatening advocate Rajeev Dhavan for representing the Sunni Wakf Board in the Ayodhya land dispute case. The 88-year-old retired education officer N Shanmugam apologised for his actions.

After Rajasthan defections, both BSP MLAs in Madhya Pradesh say ‘all is well’, won’t leave party

The two Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs who support the Congress government in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly have said they will not quit the party like their former colleagues in Rajasthan. All six BSP MLAs in Rajasthan had joined the Congress on Monday.

NASA orbiter fails to locate Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram lander during flyover

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration flew over the targeted landing site of Chandrayaan-2’s lander Vikram on Tuesday and clicked a series of images but failed to locate it. The NASA spacecraft has been orbiting the moon for 10 years.

Jharkhand: Ajoy Kumar, who quit as state Congress chief last month, joins Aam Aadmi Party

Former Jharkhand Congress chief Ajoy Kumar joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday ahead of Assembly elections in the state later this year. Kumar, a former Indian Police Service officer, had resigned from his post in the Congress in August, accusing senior colleagues of putting personal interests above the party.

Unnao cases: After CBI warns of high threat level, court asks UP about steps to relocate complainant

A court in Delhi on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a report on the possible measures that can be taken to relocate the Unnao rape complainant and her family to a safe place in the state or in a neighbouring state.

Simultaneous elections: Arun Jaitley opposed the idea at a meeting in 2016, reports Indian Express

Former Union minister Arun Jaitley in 2016 told a group of ministers that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea of simultaneous national and state elections was “fraught with many pitfalls”, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. Jaitley, who died last month, was then the Union finance minister.

NASA orbiter fails to locate Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram lander during flyover

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration flew over the targeted landing site of Chandrayaan-2’s lander Vikram on Tuesday and clicked a series of images but failed to locate it, Hindustan Times reported on Thursday. The NASA spacecraft has been orbiting the moon for 10 years.

Jharkhand: Ajoy Kumar, who quit as state Congress chief last month, joins Aam Aadmi Party

Former Jharkhand Congress chief Ajoy Kumar joined the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday ahead of Assembly elections in the state later this year. Kumar, a former Indian Police Service officer, had resigned from his post in the Congress in August, accusing senior colleagues of putting personal interests above the party.

Unnao cases: After CBI warns of high threat level, court asks UP about steps to relocate complainant

A court in Delhi on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file a report on the possible measures that can be taken to relocate the Unnao rape complainant and her family to a safe place in the state or in a neighbouring state. The court’s direction came after the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a threat perception report and said the complainant and her family members face a “Category-A” threat – which is the highest threat level.

Rajnath Singh flies in Tejas, becomes first defence minister to do sortie in indigenous fighter jet

Rajnath Singh on Thursday became the first defence minister to fly in the indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas, the Hindustan Times reported. The minister tweeted photos wearing the G-suit, a white helmet and an oxygen mask before taking off for a 30-minute sortie from the HAL airport in Bengaluru on a twin-seater version of the fighter jet.

Government issues ordinance to ban e-cigarettes, first-time violators to be fined up to Rs 1 lakh

The government on Thursday issued an ordinance to ban e-cigarettes. The ordinance makes the production, manufacturing, import, export, transport, sale, distribution and advertisements of e-cigarettes a cognisable offence.

Delhi court closes cheating case against woman who accused CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment

A court in Delhi has closed criminal proceedings against a former Supreme Court staffer who had accused Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexually harassing her, The Indian Express reported on Thursday. A 31-year-old man had accused the woman of cheating him of Rs 50,000 to get him a job at the Supreme Court.

J&K governor differs with other leaders, says PoK can be won through development, not war

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday said India can wrest Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir back through planned development in the state and not war, PTI reported. His remark comes even as other leaders and ministers have suggested taking back the territory using force. Malik said he was confident people would “revolt” and cross over to the Indian side without using force.

Mumbai: Schools, colleges shut as IMD issues red alert, predicts heavy rain

The India Meteorological Department has forecast intermittent rain in Mumbai and its suburbs for the next two days, with the possibility of very heavy rain at some places. A red alert, or “take action” alert, is in place in Mumbai, Pune and Satara districts for Thursday, and in Raigad district for Thursday as well as Friday.

Delhi: Transport strike today to protest against amended Motor Vehicles Act

Many schools in Delhi will remain closed on Thursday and commuters are also likely to face problems as transport associations have called for a one-day strike to protest against the hefty penalty amounts for traffic violations under the amended Motor Vehicles Act. The strike has been called by the United Front of Transport Associations. It represents 41 associations and unions of goods and passenger segments, including trucks, buses, auto-rickshaws and taxis in the National Capital Region. The strike could hit ride-hailing services such as Uber and Ola and private buses.

Jharkhand mob lynching: Murder charges reinstated against accused in Tabrez Ansari case

The Jharkhand Police on Wednesday invoked murder charges against 13 persons in connection with the death of 24-year-old Tabrez Ansari in June. Earlier this month, the police had dropped the murder charge in the first chargesheet, contending that Ansari had died of a cardiac arrest due to stress and not because of injuries.

Supreme Court gets four new judges, total strength rises to 34

The Supreme Court got four new judges on Wednesday, taking its strength to 34, the highest ever. Justices Krishna Murari, SR Bhat, V Ramasubramanian and Hrishikesh Roy were appointed judges of the top court.

Chinmayanand case: SIT says it will not be influenced by media trial, asks people to be patient

The Special Investigation Team looking into allegations against former Union minister Chinmayanand said on Wednesday that it was going through every aspect of the charges against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader. The team’s leading official, Naveen Arora, said they were not going to be “influenced by some person or a media trial” to arrive at a conclusion in the case.

India regrets Pakistan’s ‘unilateral’ decision to not allow Modi’s flight in its airspace

India on Wednesday expressed regret over Pakistan’s decision to refuse permission to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flight to use its airspace for the second time in two weeks. The statement came hours after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Islamabad has rejected the request keeping in mind the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Hindi row: DMK postpones ‘language protest’ after Amit Shah’s clarification

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam President MK Stalin on Wednesday postponed his party’s proposed protest against the alleged attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre to impose Hindi. Stalin changed his mind hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that he had never pitched for Hindi to be made national language. The DMK had planned the “language protest” on September 20.

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