The Morning Standard - January 29, 2025

In this issue

January 29, 2025

From history to AI, a stage for diverse perspectives

INCISIVE discussions on education, culture, and governance captivated audience as scholars articulated their vision on the second day of the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 hosted by The New Indian Express in Chennai.

1 min

In first call, Don nudges Modi to buy US weapons

Says he expects PM to do 'what is right' on return of undocumented Indians in the US

1 min

Genocide remarks can endanger nat'l security

LIEUTENANT Governor VK Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday, alleging that AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's allegations that \"poison\" is being mixed into Yamuna water and there was an \"attempt of genocide\" in the capital are highly objectionable, and amount to endangering national security.

1 min

Probe Kejriwal's 'genocide' remarks: Dikshit

SLAMMING AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's remarks, a Congress delegation on Tuesday approached the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on the matter.

1 min

EC asks Kejriwal to back 'poison in Yamuna' claims

AMID massive row over the alleged increase in the ammonia levels in Yamuna water, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday issued a letter to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal asking him to substantiate with facts his serious and grave allegations of poisoning the river and mass genocide.

1 min

Delhi, Haryana war over water gets political colours ahead of elections

THE battle for water between Delhi and Haryana has resurfaced amid the fervent campaign for the February 5 Assembly elections in Delhi.

1 min

Atishi, Mann move EC with ammonia claims

AMID escalating political tensions over the alleged rise in ammonia levels in Yamuna water, incumbent Chief Minister Atishi and her Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met the Chief Election Commissioner and accused the BJP government in Haryana of deliberately releasing alarming levels of ammonia into the Yamuna river, endangering Delhi's water supply.

1 min

Haryana BJP MPs step up attack on former CM

FOLLOWING the remarks of AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal accusing Haryana government of 'poisoning' Yamuna water ahead of the Delhi polls, Haryana BJP MPs on Tuesday demanded the former Delhi chief minister's arrest over his 'false' claims.

1 min

Politicians must stay ahead of curve: TN BJP president

TAMIL Nadu needs an alternative political discourse to restore its former glory, reboot its economy, and enhance the quality of life for its people, said BJP state president K Annamalai.

1 min

Colonial edu system reason for societal tension

INDIAN education is not only a source of empowerment but, more importantly, a source of liberation, said Arif Mohammed Khan, Governor of Bihar on Day 2 of the conclave.

1 min

History thrives when there is multiplicity of voices: Sampath

HISTORY flourishes when there is multiplicity of voices and diverse interpretations, said author Vikram Sampath.

1 min

'Brit collaborators turned vital figures post Independence'

SANYAL POINTS AT DELIBERATE OBFUSCATION OF CERTAIN PARTS OF INDIAN HISTORY

2 mins

Social media has become a war zone, says Tamilisai

CUTTING across political lines, leaders of major parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, AIADMK, Congress and BJP shared their insights on improving the declining standards of political discourse in the country.

1 min

Allow children to pursue their passion: Artiste couple tells parents

CARNATIC vocalist Sandeep Narayan and classical dancer Radhe Jaggi have asked parents to adopt an alternative approach to education when their child has a genuine interest in any art form, sports, or any other thing.

1 min

T'gana working on reducing gap between haves, have-nots'

TELANGANA Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday expressed his dissatisfaction over the manner per capita income is calculated and said his government is working towards reducing the gap between the haves and have-nots.

1 min

Experts take on country's mental health emergency

THE 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 held on Tuesday highlighted an issue often overlooked but deeply pervasive:

1 min

Decline in jobs due to industries prioritising skills

The session stressed on the need for skill-based, multidisciplinary education

1 min

Centre should fund state varsities

Karnataka minister wants union govt to assist states in meaningful ways, rather than stripping them of their powers

2 mins

Focus on spirituality can help increase IQ

SWAMI Shailendra Saraswathi of Vedic Life explained the concept of Spiritual Quotient (SQ) as the essence of our being, the deepest level of existence and the key to enhancing all aspects of life.

1 min

Prof Discusses AI Models That Reduced TN Road Accidents

THE lack of availability of reliable data is the most prominent challenge in building workable AI models, said Prof Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head of RGB Labs, IIT Madras, in his address, \"AI and Behavioural Change: A Roadmap,\" on Tuesday.

1 min

Kanisetti highlights Chola empire's long legacy of cultural integration

ONE of the most distinguishing features of the Chola Empire was their comfort with diversity. Instead of replacing existing cultures after the conquest, the Cholas added a new layer to them which helped them to build a transregional empire, said writer and researcher Anirudh Kanisetti on the second day of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 on Tuesday.

1 min

India has potential to become AI leader, says Tanuj Bhojwani

WITH a vast population and an untapped market for artificial intelligence (AI), India has the potential to become a global leader in the AI realm, said Tanuj Bhojwani, Head of People+AI.

1 min

HONOURING THE SPIRIT OF ‘DEVIS'

In a glowing tribute to their resilience and spirit, 13 women changemakers were honoured at the 31st edition of the Devi Awards in Chennai on Tuesday for not only breaking ground in the diverse fields of their choice but for the paths they have paved for the generations to come.

2 mins

Nurses Have Not Been Given Their Rightful Place in India: Preetha Reddy

THERE are a lot of lessons we have learned from Covid-19, but the biggest was that it taught us to work in collaboration and stop working in silos, said Preetha Reddy, vice chairperson of Apollo Hospitals.

1 min

Liquor scam took place under Kejriwal's watch, Sisodia architect: Rahul

LAUNCHING a blistering attack on AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the former chief minister came talking about bringing in clean politics but the biggest \"liquor scam\" took place in Delhi under his watch, while he got engrossed in \"sheesh mahal politics\".

1 min

Shah hits campaign trail, says city to be free of 'AAPda' soon

UNION Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah hit the campaign trail for the Delhi assembly election on Tuesday, rubbishing the allegation of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal of Haryana poisoning Yamuna waters and daring him to show proof he claimed to have.

1 min

Nadda takes Ayushman Bharat jibe at AAP

UNION Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday said that it is \"inhuman\" for the people of Delhi for not being part of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), considered to be the largest insurance scheme in the world.

1 min

SC grants custody parole to Tahir Hussain for campaign

THE Supreme Court has granted custody parole to Tahir Hussain, an AIMIM candidate and accused in the 2020 Delhi riots, allowing him to campaign ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.

1 min

5 Dead in Building Collapse, Rescue Op Underway: Cops

FIVE people, including two girls, were killed in the four-storey building collapse in north Delhi's Burari area, police said on Tuesday and added that the property owner had been booked.

1 min

Only an educated CM can ensure 24x7 power

IN a series of rallies across North East Delhi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal emphasised his government's accomplishments and shared his vision for the future of Delhi.

1 min

Defamation summons against Atishi turned down by court

A Delhi court has quashed summons issued against AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor.

1 min

REJUVENATION AND DIVESTMENT OF PSUs CAN GO TOGETHER

THERE has been a perceptible slowing of disinvestment of public sector units in recent years.

1 min

REIN IN PROFITEERING MICROFIN INSTITUTIONS

A fear of microfinance companies demanding repayment of loans has gripped rural Karnataka-so much so that some have fled from home or ended their lives.

1 min

How ASEAN Can Ride Out the Trump 2.0 Challenge

Recent senate hearings to confirm Donald Trump's cabinet picks brought into sharp contrast the candidate for US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, and the secretary of state, Marco Rubio.

3 mins

Making Sense of Insensibility With The Dismal Science

Economics assumes rational decisions and efficient markets, though the world does not work that way. Yet, some tenets of the discipline hold up an essential mirror to human behaviour

4 mins

Muslim woman seeks succession law

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Centre's stand after hearing a Muslim woman's plea seeking to be governed by the Indian succession law.

1 min

States Told to File Compliance Report on Ending Caste Bias in Jails

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted \"one last opportunity\" to the states and Union Territories to file their compliance reports on implementation of its earlier verdict on prison manuals.

1 min

Panel on Waqf Bill all set to approve govt's move to include non-Muslims

THE Joint Parliamentary Committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is set to approve the government's move to include non-Muslims in Waqf boards, saying they can be \"beneficiaries, parties to disputes, or otherwise interested in Waqf matters\", sources said on Tuesday.

2 mins

Only 57% teens use smartphones for study: ASER

MORE than 82% of children aged 14-16 in India know how to use smartphones, but only 57% of them use them for educational purposes whereas 76% use the device for accessing social media, according to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 released on Tuesday.

2 mins

Optimistic about eliminating TB from India this year, says Nadda

UNION Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said he is optimistic that India will meet the target of eliminating tuberculosis from the country this year and he will be able to confirm it by the first week of April.

1 min

‘Yahi samay hai,’ PM bats for Odisha

ASSERTING his backing to Odisha in its journey towards fast-paced economic growth and development, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that this was the right time to invest in the state.

2 mins

India peeved at Lankan Navy firing on fishermen

Summons top envoy, calls it unacceptable after five sustain injuries

1 min

7 killed, scores hurt as stage collapses in UP

AT least seven people were killed and over 60 were injured after a 65-ft high makeshift stage collapsed during a religious event of Jain community in Baghpat district of western Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

1 min

Party hopping begins, 2 from JD(U) join Congress

PARTY-hopping has picked up in Bihar as the assembly election draws near, charging the state's political atmosphere.

2 mins

Farooq says will wait for statehood, not to press Centre

NATIONAL Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said that his party will continue to wait for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.

1 min

Like sports, UCC stands for spirit of equality, non-discrimination: PM

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi praised the Uttarakhand government's efforts in implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), calling it a pioneering initiative in India.

1 min

Raj govt to table bill in Assembly on coaching centres to check suicides

GIVEN the alarming rise in suicides among coaching students, the BJP government in Rajasthan has announced a plan to introduce a bill focused on suicide prevention.

1 min

HC: Marriage between 2 Hindus sacrosanct, can't be dissolved within 1 year

THE Allahabad High Court on Monday held that marriage between two Hindu individuals is sacrosanct and its dissolution within one year would be permissible only for reasons permissible in law.

1 min

Major anti-terror ops in Jammu

To track down 40-50 terrorists involved in hit-and-run attacks on security personnel

2 mins

Mobs attack foreign embassies in Congo

Protesters want the international community to pressure Rwanda to halt advance of rebels like M23 into their city

2 mins

High chlorate forces Coke to recall some products in EU

COCA-COLA has recalled some of its soft drinks in Europe after higher-than-normal levels of a chemical called chlorate were detected in bottles and cans at a production plant in Belgium.

1 min

Wannabe PM of Canada lays out plans to take on Trump

CHRYSTIA Freeland, the former finance minister who is running to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada's prime minister, said on Monday Canada needs to release a 'retaliation list' of goods the country would target if US President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to slap 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.

1 min

Marshall Islands bans fishing in two isles

MARSHALL Islands declared on Tuesday its first national marine sanctuary, protecting a \"pristine\" expanse of tropical Pacific Ocean home to deep-sea sharks and green turtles.

1 min

US federal grants tap off, Don orders ideological review

THE White House is pausing federal grants and loans starting on Tuesday as President Donald Trump's administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending.

1 min

IDF to remain in Syria buffer zone indefinitely

DEFENCE Minister Israel Katz said during a visit to the Syrian side of Mount Hermon today that the IDF will remain there indefinitely, The Times of Israel reported.

1 min

G-Maps to Rename Gulf of Mexico

GOOGLE said it will take its cue from the US government if it has to change the names of the Gulf of Mexico and Denali on its maps.

1 min

Bajaj Auto net profit surges 8% to 2,196 crore; revenue increases to 13,169 crore

Food Bajaj Auto on Tuesday said its consolidated net profit jumped by 8% to 2,196 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2024, on the back of robust exports.

1 min

Paytm Payments' CEO Nakul Jain steps down

NAKUL JAIN has stepped down from the role of chief executive officer at Paytm Payments Services Ltd (PPSL). This comes as the fintech company continues to wait for the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) approval for its payment aggregator licence.

1 min

Non-interest income boosts Union Bank net profit by 28.2% to ₹4,604 crore

STATE-owned Union Bank of India on Tuesday reported a healthy set of numbers, with net income rising by 28.24% year-on-year to ₹4,604 crore, driven by higher non-interest income and improved asset quality, which cushioned a fall in net interest margin in the December quarter.

1 min

DeepSeek effect: India should build cheaper AI models

TWO years after OpenAI's ChatGPT took the world by storm, China's AI model DeepSeek has now sparked a debate among tech enthusiasts on building low-cost AI models and India's potential to tap the opportunity, train foundational AI models relatively cheaper than the cost involved currently.

1 min

TVS Motor net profit rises 20% to ₹609 crore, revenue from ops at ₹11,134.63 crore

TVS Motor Company on Tuesday reported a 20% rise in consolidated net profit to ₹609.35 crore in the December quarter, riding on higher sales.

1 min

Retail digital payments increase 100-fold in 12 years; 83% via UPI

RETAIL digital payments have grown from 162 crore transactions in 2013 to over 16,416 crore transactions in 2024, which is nearly 100-fold jump during the past 12 years, show the latest payments system report by the Reserve Bank.

1 min

Sebi rejects Danny Gaekwad's offer to buy 26% in Religare

SEBI has rejected the competing open offer for Religare Enterprises by Florida, US-based investor Digivijay 'Danny' Gaekwad.

1 min

Zepto Moves Corporate Base From Singapore To India Ahead Of IPO

QUICK-COMMERCE unicorn Zepto has officially moved its corporate base from Singapore to India, ahead of its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO).

1 min

Hyundai PAT falls 19% in Q3 over subdued demand

OWING to subdued demand in the domestic market and global headwinds impacting exports, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) on Tuesday reported a 19% decline in its profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter ending December this fiscal (Q3FY25) at ₹1,161 crore as against ₹1,425 crore profit in the same quarter last financial year (Q3FY24).

1 min

Missing Games, Mirabai training for new category

Another big name to miss the 2025 National Games will be Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu.

1 min

Modi reiterates Olympic ambitions

The current dispensation will move heaven and earth to win the right to host the 2036 Olympics.

1 min

Allardice steps down as ICC chief executive

GEOFF Allardice, the chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), decided to step down, the global cricketing body announced on Tuesday.

1 min

Bumrah ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year

JASPRIT Bumrah feels honored after winning the prestigious ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year award, but team's success would always be his priority, and he picked India's T20 World Cup triumph as his most cherished moment of 2024.

1 min

Varun's fifer not enough as England get vital win

Spinner shines but visitors clinch 3rd T20I in Rajkot to stay in hunt

2 mins

Kohli trains with Delhi, set for Ranji comeback

FORMER India captain Virat Kohli started training with the Delhi team at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday ahead of the Ranji Trophy clash against Railways that begins Thursday.

1 min

All about night-time leg numbness

LEG numbness during the night is a common issue caused by nerve compression or reduced blood flow.

1 min

SRK confirms King to be directed by Siddharth Anand

Shah Rukh Khan recently confirmed at an event that his upcoming actioner King, which will also star his daughter Suhana Khan, will be directed by Pathaan director Siddharth Anand.

1 min

Sardar 2 Is Both a Prequel and a Sequel

At the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave, actor Karthi spoke about the intricacies of preparing for a role, the importance of acknowledging non-film talents, his upcoming sequels, and more

4 mins

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