The Morning Standard - January 31, 2025

In this issue

January 31, 2025

WHEN RANJI MATCH TURNED SURREAL

RANJI Trophy matches usually draw a handful of crowds.

1 min

67 KILLED in copter-jet mid-air crash

ALL 64 people aboard an American Airlines aircraft that collided with an Army helicopter are dead in the deadliest US air crash since 2001, President Donald Trump said on Thursday.

1 min

EC Refutes AAP Claim on Raid at Mann Residence

In yet another confrontation between the AAP and the Election Commission, ruling party leaders, including Atishi, on Thursday claimed that poll panel officials and the Delhi Police raided Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's residence in Kapurthala House.

1 min

Bonding over melodies beyond manifestos

Campaign trail turns into cultural fest

1 min

Amid EC nudge, ex-CM's 'dirty politics' jibe at CEC

WITH the Election Commission expressing dissatisfaction with Arvind Kejriwal's response to its notice over his claim that the Haryana government was \"mixing poison\" in Yamuna, the AAP supremo on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar of getting indulged in \"dirty politics\" and alleged that he was seeking a post-retirement job.

1 min

Irdai Puts 10% Cap on Hike in Premiums for Senior Citizens

In a bid to protect senior citizens—the most vulnerable age group with limited income sources—from steep hikes in health insurance premiums, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on Thursday capped the annual increase on such premiums at 10%.

1 min

Setback to AAP-Cong combine as BJP wins Chandigarh mayor poll

ALLEGED cross-voting allowed BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla to win the mayoral election of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Thursday.

1 min

Don't rush '1 poll' plan, says JD(U) at all-party meet

Stormy Parliament session to begin today

1 min

'AAP has ruined city, time for Kejriwal to go'

ACCUSING the ruling AAP of stalling the development in the national capital, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva asserts that it is his party at the Centre that had worked to spruce up infrastructure in the city.

3 mins

Rahul reminds voters of Congress commitments

RAHUL Gandhi on Thursday lashed out at AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, saying the former Delhi CM is no better than Prime Minister Narendra Modi when it comes to lying but is probably more \"cunning\" in masking his true intentions.

1 min

Shah tears into Kejriwal for 'polluting' Yamuna

UNION Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing rallies in Rohini, Wazirpur, and other parts of New Delhi on Thursday, launched blistering attacks on AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal.

1 min

Capital cry: Delhi mange vikas aur virasat

Everyone — from civil service aspirants to Khan Market regulars — weighing options for better life

2 mins

Flats, ₹10L insurance in AAP promises for domestic helps

WITH days to go for the Delhi Assembly polls, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced seven guarantees, including EWS flats and working hour rules, for domestic workers employed at official residences of MPs, ministers, and government officers.

1 min

Kejriwal Dares Shah, Saini To Drink Yamuna Water

Amid controversy over his \"Haryana government mixed poison in water for Delhi,\" AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal earlier in the day claimed that ammonia content in Yamuna went up to 7 ppm (parts per million) that is dangerous for human health.

1 min

Minorities got raw deal under AAP and BJP govts: Masood

CONGRESS leader Imran Masood on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the AAP government in Delhi and the BJP-led government at the Centre, saying both the governments have \"ignored and suppressed\" the interest of the minorities.

1 min

Cash, liquor handed out in Kalkaji: CM Atishi writes to EC

DELHI Chief Minister Atishi wrote to the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday, alleging the distribution of money and liquor in Kalkaji constituency in \"blatant violation\" of the model code of conduct for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls.

1 min

Imam Moves HC Seeking Stay on '2020 Delhi' Film Release

SHARJEEL Imam, an accused in the Delhi riots case, has approached the high court seeking a stay on the release of the film 2020 Delhi, scheduled to hit theaters on February 2.

1 min

Foggy conditions return as AQI touches 381

THE national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 9.2 degrees Celsius at 5:30 am on Thursday morning according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

1 min

HC Sets Aside ₹2.5 Cr Bail Condition for Rau's CEO

The Delhi High Court on Thursday set aside the ₹2.5 crore financial condition imposed on Abhishek Gupta, CEO of Rau's IAS Study Circle, while granting him interim bail.

1 min

City to get 44 new metro stations by 2026: DMRC

As Delhi Metro continues to expand its network with the development of its Phase 4 corridor, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) aims to operate 44 new metro stations by the end of financial year 2026-27 as part of the Phase 4 priority corridor.

1 min

UGC-NET paper leak: CBI files closure report

THE CBI has filed a closure report in the UGC-NET 2024 paper leak case, concluding that there was no evidence to support allegations of a leak.

1 min

Documentary filmmaker, rights activist Tapan Kumar Bose passes away at 78

RENOWNED documentary film-maker, human rights and peace activist Tapan Kumar Bose breathed his last at his New Delhi home on the morning of Martyr's Day, January 30. He was 78.

1 min

Make 'right choice', says Jaishankar

Criticising state of civic infrastructure in the capital, EAM urges youth to 'vote for future'

1 min

Security lapse: Man tries to take selfie with Reddy

A major security lapse at the Telangana Secretariat came to light after a man, posing as a government employee, infiltrated the high-security complex and attempted to take a selfie with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy after his press conference on Tuesday.

1 min

SC asks TN to pay Palar river pollution victims

The SC on Thursday passed a slew of directions, including compensation to the aggrieved, to mitigate severe pollution in Palar River in Vellore district due to discharge of untreated effluents from local tanneries.

1 min

T'gana special session to discuss caste census

Dedicated commission to make recommendations

1 min

Why should religion govern people who renounce faith: Safiya who moved SC

SAFIYA P M has been swamped by phone calls for the past couple of days ever since the Supreme Court sought the Union government's view on her petition seeking to declare that people who renounced religion be governed by secular laws in matters of succession.

1 min

Tough Law to Rein in Lenders Soon

Karnataka cabinet to bring in a stringent law through an Ordinance to protect borrowers

1 min

161 Civic Services Come Under AP WhatsApp Governance

In a world-first initiative, the Andhra Pradesh government has launched WhatsApp governance, offering 161 civic services directly to the public through the platform.

1 min

Andhra Clears 15 Projects Worth ₹44,776 Crore, to Generate 19,500 Jobs

THE third meeting of the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat on Thursday, approved ₹44,776 crore investments of 15 industrial projects, which will generate 19,500 jobs.

1 min

DEEPSEEK'S DISRUPTION SHOULD OPEN GATE FOR INDIANAI INITIATIVES

A new Chinese artificial intelligence model has rattled American tech giants.

2 mins

FASTER PROBES CAN DETER MORE THAN STRICT LAWS

THE conviction rate for rape cases in India was at a dismal 2.56 percent in 2022.

1 min

Why Musk's Mars Mission Is Troubled Before Take-Off

Extraplanetary spacefaring has a hoary history in science fiction. Elon Musk, our so-touted Mars visionary, is an avid sci-fi reader. A book he acknowledges as foundational to his outlook is Robert Heinlein's Hugo Award-winner, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (1967), about an insurrection of the moon's penal colony against the Earth-based Lunar Authority.

3 mins

NEW LANKA GOVT'S HONEYMOON OVER, TOUGH CALLS AWAIT

The Dissanayake regime's move on corruption is laudable. But with the poverty rate doubling, the govt needs to focus on economic recovery while balancing India and China's concerns.

4 mins

SC raps Centre for dragging ex-Army men to court over disability pension

The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Centre for dragging retired army personnel to court by filing \"frivolous appeals,\" and asked it to frame a policy in connection with their disability pension cases.

1 min

HCs allowed to appoint ad hoc judges to clear backlog

Considering pendency of cases, the Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the high courts to appoint ad hoc judges, not exceeding the 10 per cent of the court's total sanctioned strength.

1 min

India, France May Clear Rafale M, Scorpene Submarine Deals Soon

LONG-awaited deals for the 26 Rafale Maritime jets and the project to construct three additional Scorpene submarines are due to be inked between India and France soon, according to sources.

1 min

Trump American nationalist, India-US ties strong

HIGHLIGHTING the strong bilateral ties between India and the United States, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday referred to US President Donald Trump as an \"American nationalist\".

2 mins

Oppn likely to take up Kumbh stampede

THE stage appears set for a stormy Budget session starting Friday, with the Opposition planning to corner the government on a range of issues, but chiefly the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Maha Kumbh stampede and the downward trend in economy.

1 min

JPC's Waqf report with Birla, govt may table it in first half of session

Chairman and members of JPC on Waqf Bill submit their report to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the Parliament House in New Delhi | PTI

1 min

Immigration Among 16 Bills on Govt Agenda

In a well-calculated move, the NDA government may introduce the Immigration and Foreigners Bill during the Budget session of parliament, which will be held from Friday to April 4, with a recess.

1 min

Red meat intake increases dementia risk and cognitive decline, says study

PEOPLE who eat processed red meat have a greater risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia than those who eat very little red meat, according to a new study.

1 min

PIL in SC accuses UP govt of lapses, administrative failure

A day after the stampede broke out at Maha Kumbh, killing 30 people, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court accusing the Uttar Pradesh government of \"lapses, negligence and utter failure of administration\".

1 min

Social media sensation Monalisa all set to make silver screen debut

MONALISA, the 16-year-old girl selling garlands and religious beads at the Maha Kumbh, who became a social media's sensation owing to her deep hazel eyes, is set to make her silver screen debut.

1 min

'No idea where to search for my mom'

After Maha Kumbh stampede, many missing persons untraceable; devotees continue to take holy dip

2 mins

Forces foil infiltration bid at LoC in Poonch

SECURITY forces on Thursday foiled an infiltration attempt by a heavily armed group of militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir.

1 min

Gujarat banker who swindled ₹77 cr extradited to India after 2 decades

AFTER over two decades on the run, fugitive banker Virendrabhai Patel was finally brought back to India, a significant victory for international law enforcement.

1 min

Didi orders probe after univ teacher in Bengal marries student in class

The West Bengal education department on Thursday ordered an inquiry after a professor at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University (MAKAUT) at Haringhata in Nadia allegedly married a first-year student inside the classroom, a video of which has gone viral.

1 min

Rape-accused Cong MP from Sitapur arrested during press conference

A chase of nearly two weeks ended when police arrested Congress MP Rakesh Rathore on rape charge in his constituency Sitapur while he was addressing a press conference on Thursday.

1 min

Iraqi man who burned Quran shot dead in Sweden, 5 held

AN Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden has been killed in a shooting near Stockholm, authorities said on Thursday.

1 min

Mid-Air Collision Was Preventable: Officials

The night was clear, the plane and helicopter were both in standard flight patterns and there was standard communication between the aircraft and the tower, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

1 min

NASA's asteroid samples hold ingredients of life from watery world

ASTEROID samples fetched by NASA hold not only the pristine building blocks for life but also the salty remains of an ancient water world, scientists reported on Wednesday.

1 min

Will return US missile system if China threat ends: Marcos

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr offered on Friday to remove a US missile system from the Philippines if China halts what he called its aggressive and coercive behaviour in the disputed South China Sea.

1 min

Hospital nurse dies from Ebola in Uganda

A nurse in Uganda has died of Ebola in the first recorded fatality since the country's last outbreak of the disease ended in early 2023, a health official said on Thursday.

1 min

Prisoner-hostage swap after handover mayhem

ISRAEL is releasing 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for five Thai and three Israeli hostages who Hamas freed from Gaza hours earlier.

1 min

Trump Wants to Send Illegals to Gitmo

President orders construction of detention camp in Cuba to hold up to 30,000 migrants

1 min

Biocon Net Income Declines 96% to ₹25 Cr

BIOCON on Thursday reported a 96% decline in its consolidated net profit to ₹25 crore for the quarter ended December 2024, compared to ₹660 crore in the same quarter last year.

1 min

BOB Net Profit Up 5.6% to ₹4,837 Cr as Margin Falls

SECOND-LARGEST state-run lender Bank of Baroda on Thursday reported ₹4,837 crore net profit in the quarter ending December, which is just 5.6% higher than the ₹4,579 crore it had booked a year ago.

1 min

Adani Enterprises' PAT Falls 97% to ₹58 Crore

Adani Group's flagship company - Adani Enterprises Ltd - barely managed to remain in profit in the recently concluded December quarter (Q3FY25) as its profit after tax (PAT) slipped 97% year-on-year to ₹58 crore.

1 min

Investors Pin Hope on Budget as Market Loses ₹27L Cr in Jan

INVESTORS are placing high hopes on the upcoming Union Budget to revive market sentiment as the ongoing equity market downturn has eroded over ₹27 lakh crore of investor wealth in the first month of 2025.

1 min

Aviom Housing case: RBI files for insolvency

WITHIN days of superseding the board and appointing an administrator, the Reserve Bank has filed an insolvency petition at the New Delhi bench of the NCLT and has appointed a three-member panel of experts to advise the administrator of the housing finance firm Aviom India Housing Finance.

1 min

Demand for hybrid cars will remain strong in 2025

JAPANESE auto major Toyota is confident that demand for hybrid vehicles will remain strong in India going forward owing to its practicality and consumer acceptance.

1 min

Survey May Address Tough Economic Questions

Analysts expect Eco survey to lay out plan to create fiscal room for capex, underline low economic impact from freebies

2 mins

SP Group to seal $3 bn refinancing deal with global funds to repay debt

THE Shapoorji Pallonji Group, which owns 18.6% in over $30.5 billion worth Tata Sons, is close to sewing up a funding deal with a group of overseas alternative asset managers to refinance its outstanding debt that runs in excess of $3.2 billion.

1 min

India will build world-class AI model: IT minister

INDIA will develop a world-class foundational AI model that will compete with the best global models, including ChatGPT and Deepseek R1, said minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday.

1 min

HC declines to postpone Religare AGM amid proposed takeover bid

THE Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to stay the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Religare Enterprises Limited (REL), scheduled for February 7, despite a legal challenge by a minority shareholder over the proposed takeover by the Burman family, owners of Dabur.

1 min

Rahul out for 26 on Ranji return for Karnataka

KL Rahul's much-anticipated return to Ranji Trophy lasted a mere 37 balls as the India opener was dismissed for 26, leaving Karnataka at 267/5 against Haryana on day one of their must-win Group C match.

1 min

THE SUBJECTS AND THEIR KING

Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match since 2012 reiterated his superstardom amongst the stalwarts of Indian cricket

3 mins

No Captains' Shoot, Opening Ceremony

INDIA captain Rohit Sharma will not travel to Pakistan as there will be no captains' photo-shoot or joint press conference ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy starting on February 19.

2 mins

Blasters break 11-year wait, beat Chennaiyin FC

KERALA Blasters FC delivered a dominant performance, netting three goals to clinch their first-ever away victory against Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League with a 3-1 triumph here on Thursday.

1 min

City, PSG stay alive as Arsenal reach last 16

MANCHESTER City came from behind against Club Brugge to reach the Champions League knockout phase, where they were safely joined by Paris Saint-Germain as Arsenal qualified directly for the last 16 on Wednesday in the final round of league-phase matches.

1 min

Narmada shoots down NR to win 10 air rifle gold

TAMIL Nadu's former World Cup-winning shooter Narmada Nithin Raju outgunned her more fancied rivals to win the 10m air rifle gold with a national record, even as Karnataka continued to top the medal tally with another strong show in the swimming pool at the National Games here Thursday.

1 min

MI Cape Town Beat Sunrisers, Enter Playoffs

MI Cape Town booked their maiden entry into the playoffs of the SA20 tournament here with a 10-wicket thrashing of defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape here.

1 min

SPECTRES OF SAVARKAR

Did Gandhi and Savarkar stay together as 'friends' in London? Did Savarkar pledge to be politically useful to the British? What kind of Hindu rashtra did he want? Arun Shourie's latest book, The New Icon, unravels some of the key myths about the Hindutva leader.

6 mins

Sensual soundscapes

Delhi's Sanjeeta Bhattacharya talks about her latest track, \"Tu Aa Zara\", a vibrant dance-pop number

2 mins

Ram Dongre's Art and Ambition

Artist Ram Dongre, fresh off his showcase at the 37th London Art Fair, speaks to TMS about his artistic journey, influences, and his upcoming exhibition at the India Art Fair

1 min

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