The big news: ‘Democracy has prevailed,’ says Biden in inaugural address, and 9 other top stories
Other headlines: The Centre offered to suspend farm laws for 1.5 years, and the SC dismissed review petitions challenging 2018 Aadhaar verdict.
A look at the headlines right now:
- Joe Biden sworn in as 46th president of the US, Kamala Harris becomes first woman vice president: Biden in his first presidential address said the inauguration ceremony was a celebration of the ‘the cause of democracy’.
- Centre offers to suspend farm laws for 1.5 years, farmers to discuss proposal: The government also said during the 10th round of talks with farm leaders that it can also work out a ‘mutually agreeable’ time period for suspension.
- SC dismisses review petitions challenging Aadhaar verdict as constitutionally valid: In his dissent, Justice Chandrachud said it is a constitutional error to say at this stage that no ground exists to review the 2018 judgement.
- SC leaves it to police to decide about Republic Day tractor rally, says ‘inappropriate’ for court to take a call: The leaders of farmers’ unions and top Delhi Police officers held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss security arrangements for the rally.
- VK Sasikala admitted to hospital after complaining of fever, breathlessness: Her swab sample will reportedly be tested with the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or RT-PCR to confirm if she has contracted the coronavirus.
- WhatsApp says changes in its privacy policy aims to provide transparency, options to businesses: This came a day after the government said the proposed changes raised ‘grave concerns’ over the implications of the choice and the autonomy of Indian citizens.
- Maharashtra Congress demands Arnab Goswami’s arrest, says his WhatsApp conversation amounts to treason: Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant also led a delegation to meet the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
- Former BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta’s bail plea rejected again by Mumbai court in TRP scam case: The special public prosecutor said Dasgupta may influence witnesses in the case if he was given bail.
- Varavara Rao’s detention ‘cruel, inhuman’, his lawyers urge HC to give temporary bail for 3 months: On Tuesday, the poet’s counsel submitted that the Taloja jail lacked adequate infrastructure to treat him.
- Controversial ‘goli maaro’ slogan heard at TMC rally in Kolkata: TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh admitted that the controversial slogan should not have been shouted, but blamed it on ‘some over-enthusiastic party workers’.