A look at the biggest headlines right now:

  1. Giving public notice of marriage under Special Marriage Act not mandatory, rules Allahabad HC: The court noted that compulsory publication of such a notice would interfere with the fundamental rights of liberty and privacy.
  2. Farmers burn copies of new laws on Lohri as a mark of protest in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi: Copies of the new legislations were torched in bonfires in various parts of the states.
  3. India clears purchase of 83 Tejas aircraft in defence deal worth nearly Rs 47,000 crore: The Indian Air Force will acquire the jets from PSU Hindustan Aeronautics in the biggest indigenous defence procurement deal in the military aviation sector.
  4. ‘Indians are not guinea pigs’ says Manish Tewari, questions move to roll out Covaxin: The Bharat Biotech vaccine has not completed Phase-3 trials, and the government has indicated people will not get to choose between the two vaccines approved.
  5. Fire breaks out in Kolkata’s Baghbazar area, no casualties reported: At least five fire tenders have been sent to the spot.
  6. SC takes suo motu cognisance of Yamuna river pollution, issues notice to Haryana: The three-judge bench, led by Chief Justice SA Bobde, appointed senior advocate Meenakshi Arora as amicus curiae in the matter.
  7. Working women will be tracked for their safety, says Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan, says report: The chief minister also supported raising the minimum age of women to marry from 18 to 21.
  8. Sale of chicken banned in parts of Delhi amid outbreak of bird flu: Delhi’s north and south civic bodies have cautioned hotels and restaurants against serving poultry meat or egg-based dishes.
  9. Seven ministers sworn into Karnataka Cabinet amid displeasure with inductions among BJP leaders: The Cabinet had 27 members, and seven berths were vacant.
  10. ‘No difference of opinion within AIADMK on alliance with BJP,’ says Palaniswami: He made it clear that the AIADMK was leading the alliance in Tamil Nadu.