The Morning Standard - February 15, 2025

In this issue

February 15, 2025

Suspense over new CM continues, swearing-in likely on Feb 19 or 20

AMID suspense over the name of the new chief minister after the election results, the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP government may take place on February 19 or 20. The BJP Legislature Party is likely to be held a day before the swearing-in that marks the return of the saffron party in the national capital after a gap of 27 years.

1 min

Def, trade deals to ease tariff sting

10-year defence partnership framework, $500-billion mega trade deal in the works; India to get F-35 fighter jets from US

2 mins

India rejects US offer to mediate on China row

INDIA on Friday rejected Donald Trump's offer to mediate in the ongoing tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, after the US president expressed his willingness to help stop what he called the \"vicious skirmishes\" along the India-China border.

1 min

2nd US planeload of deportees lands in Amritsar today

A US aircraft carrying 119 illegal immigrants is likely to land at the Amritsar airport on Saturday, the second such batch of Indians deported by the Donald Trump dispensation as part of its crackdown against illegal immigration.

1 min

MHA seeks Prez nod to prosecute AAP's Jain in laundering case

THE Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought the President’s approval on prosecution sanction against former minister Satyendra Jain under Section 218 of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, sources said on Friday.

1 min

CMODelhi vs KejriwalAtWork reaches X court

THE Delhi government has urged social media platform X to reinstate the official 'CMO Delhi' handle, which was allegedly renamed to 'KejriwalAtWork' under the influence of former CM Arvind Kejriwal.

1 min

Centre, Farmer Unions Meet, Next Round on February 22

The first meeting between a Central team led by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and farmers' representatives to discuss their demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP on crops, was held here in a cordial atmosphere on Friday.

1 min

Direct officials to disregard improper orders

In letter to L-G, Sachdeva alleges acting CM Atishi 'misusing' her post and 'misleading' public with false statements

2 mins

After Vidhan Sabha, all eyes on MCD bypolls

AFTER 11 councillors were elected to the Delhi Assembly in the recently-concluded elections, and a seat was vacated councillor-turned-MP Kamaljeet Sehrwat, the city gears up for by-elections in twelve Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) wards, likely to be held in late April or the first week of May.

1 min

CBI Pushes for Urgent Hearing in 2G Scam Case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that its appeal against acquittal of former telecom minister A Raja and 16 others in the ‘infamous’ 2G spectrum allocation case is “ripe for hearing.”

1 min

Cong criticises BJP's delay in naming CM

THE Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) on Friday expressed concern over the delay in appointing a Chief Minister, a week after the BJP's electoral victory in the Delhi Assembly polls.

1 min

Bharat Tex Showcasing India's Vivid Textile Industry Kicks Off

INDIA'S premier textile industry event, Bharat Tex 2025 kicked off on Friday at the Bharat Mandapam.

1 min

Will ensure MCD areas are as clean & beautiful as NDMC zones: L-G

L-G VK Saxena on Friday, while emphasizing the vital role of sanitation workers in maintaining Delhi's cleanliness, said the MCD areas would be made as clean and beautiful as NDMC zones.

1 min

Amid outage row, discoms say power supply 'reliable'

WHILE the outgoing Chief Minister Atishi claimed of outages after AAP's departure from power in Delhi, BSES discoms on Friday said they are ensuring \"reliable, seamless\" supply in their areas.

1 min

BJP Will 'Fake' Financial Crisis to Evade Poll Promises: Atishi

CARETAKER Chief Minister Atishi on Friday said her government handed over a fiscally strong and revenue-surplus economy to the incoming BJP government, ensuring there are no financial roadblocks to fulfilling the poll promises made to Delhi citizens.

1 min

Passport details can't be disclosed under RTI Act

THE Delhi High Court has ruled that passport details and personal identification documents of a person cannot be disclosed to a third party under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

1 min

Court raps lawyer for riding vehicle during hearing

A Delhi court on Friday censured a lawyer for being \"unprofessional,\" as he was seen \"walking\" and then \"in a moving car,\" while appearing virtually on a cellphone in a February 2020 riots case.

1 min

'Nursery of thoughts' at Yechury's alma mater

MARXIST economist Prabhat Patnaik on Friday said campuses are considered a \"nursery of thoughts\". \"Campuses are where thought flourishes and if the property of fascism or neo-fascism is destruction of thought, then a destruction of the campus life is something which is absolutely essential for its survival; which is why JNU is the target...,\" he said.

1 min

Operation Kavach 7.0: 90 drug peddlers held from over 700 locations in city

THE Crime Branch, in collaboration with all districts and special units, conducted simultaneous raids at over 700 locations across the city and arrested 90 narco-offenders, officials said on Friday.

1 min

Amid protest, Jamia students accuse univ of disclosing personal details

JAMIA Millia Islamia (JMI) students on Friday accused the university administration of violating their right to privacy by displaying personal details of alleged protesters, including their names, photographs, addresses and phone numbers, on campus gates.

1 min

Mere demand for dowry not offence under Sec 498A: HC

THE Delhi High Court has recently ruled that the mere demand for dowry does not constitute an offence under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860 while observing that vague allegations of intimidation do not amount to harassment under the law.

1 min

ESIC nurses plan mass protest over transfers, vacancies and pay issues

NURSES from Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) hospitals across India are set to stage a protest at the organisation headquarters in the national capital next week, demanding urgent resolution of multiple long-pending issues.

1 min

Man kills self in hotel room as girlfriend sleeps close by

Initial probe reveals couple had an argument hours before incident

1 min

₹530 cr interest-free loan for Wayanad rehab okayed

SIX months after the devastating landslides in Wayanad killed nearly 300 people and sparked a political slugfest between the state and the Centre over financial grant, the Union government has sanctioned an interest-free, long-term loan of ₹529.50 crore to Kerala to implement 16 projects for the rehabilitation of the victims, albeit on a strict and \"impractical\" spending deadline.

1 min

Robber loots ₹15 L from pvt bank in Thrissur

A knife-wielding robber hit a private bank in Thrissur and made away with ₹15 lakh on Friday afternoon, in a daring robbery that left the town stunned.

1 min

Criminals disguised as politicians serious threat: Naidu

CRIMINALS disguised as politicians are a serious threat to democracy, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reportedly stated while addressing TDP leaders at the party headquarters in Mangalagiri on Friday.

1 min

Noisy scenes in Odisha House over law & order and paddy procurement

WITH the Opposition BJD and Congress taking an aggressive stance on the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and mismanagement in paddy procurement, the Assembly was drowned in chaos on Friday.

1 min

Velayani lake conservation gets Kerala HC boost

The long-pending demand to conserve and protect the Vellayani Lake -- the second largest freshwater lake in the state -- is finally set to become a reality with the High Court directing the State Wetland Authority of Kerala (SWAK) to complete the demarcation of the lake's wetland boundaries within three months.

2 mins

K'taka Attracts ₹10L Cr Investment

Major proposals in renewable energy sector, followed by manufacturing and infrastructure

2 mins

DA case: Unopened luxury watches in Jaya's kitty shock court staff

THOSE in the special court were left dumbstruck after finding three luxury watches, which were not even opened from their boxes, while carrying out valuation and documentation of valuables seized from former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets (DA) case.

1 min

Celebrating a Sage-Unifier with Kashi-Tamil Sangamam

S Bharat celebrates its civilizational showcase with divinity, hosting a monumental gathering of over 50 crore devotees visiting the Maha Kumbh, Varanasi celebrates through Kashi-Tamil Sangamam (KTS), an enduring strain of national unity.

3 mins

Shifting Sands: Assimilation to Self Adoration

The BJP appears to be making the same mistake as the Congress: the centralisation of power. History will tell us which of the two will learn its lessons faster or if there will be another twist

4 mins

India-US trade to touch $500 bn by '30

Bilateral Trade Agreement to be signed soon; Arms transfer regulations will be reviewed to boost defence trade

2 mins

Modi, Trump approves co-production of Stryker, Javelin & additional P-8Is

IN their bilateral meeting at Washington DC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump announced to \"pursue the procurement and co-production of Javelin ATGM and Stryker ICV in India to meet the country's defence requirements.\"

1 min

Hearing of case on illegal B'desh migrants in Mar

The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will hear in April pleas seeking to bring political parties under the purview of the Right to Information Act to ensure accountability.

1 min

After back-to-back poll debacle, Cong names new gen secys, state in-charges

IN an organisational reshuffle, the Congress on Friday appointed new general secretaries and in-charges for several states.

1 min

'Time to revisit': Dhankhar questions role of CJI in executive appointments

VICE President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday questioned the involvement of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) with any executive appointment.

1 min

Modi, Rahul will meet on next wk to name next CEC

AS Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar is set to demit office on February 18, a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet early next week to finalize his successor.

1 min

BSF finds Lahore, Narowal most active in launching drug drones

PAKISTAN'S Lahore and Narowal are two areas from where drones are being launched for entering into the Indian side of the International Borders to drop drugs, arms and ammunition, said BSF officials, while claiming that the force's forensic labs have found that 184 drones - the highest number - originated from different areas of the two cities.

1 min

'Karpoori Rath' will criss-cross state during poll

EYING the extremely backward classes votes, the main opposition in Bihar, the RJD, 'Karpoori Vichar Rath' from the state capital on Friday.

1 min

Ahmed Patel's son quits Cong with 'great pain'

In an emotional social media post, Faizal revealed his choice to step away from the political legacy of his father, a move that has sent shockwaves through political circles, raising questions about his political future.

1 min

Road work picks pace ahead of Char Dham yatra

WIDENING of the strategically significant Gangotri National Highway is set to begin ahead of this year's Char Dham Yatra.

1 min

Lalu Home Truth: Rabri's Brothers Not on Same Page Over Corruptions

RJD chief Lalu Prasad's elder brother-in-law, Anirudha Prasad, also known as Sadhu Yadav, publicly criticised his younger brother, Subhash Yadav, for accusing Lalu of mediating deals involving corruption and kidnapping cases during his time in power in Bihar from 1990 to 2005.

1 min

Fadnavis meets Shah, will implement 3 criminal laws

MAHARASHTRA CM Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday that the new criminal laws will be implemented in the state within the next six months.

1 min

App for elephant route to check man-animal conflict in J'khand soon

THE Jharkhand Forest Department is all set to launch the 'Elephant Route Predictor' app, which is designed to track potential elephant routes in a manner similar to weather forecasts.

1 min

Akhilesh MP booked for 'hell and heavens' remarks on Kumbh

A criminal case was registered against Afzal Ansari, the Samajwadi Party MP from Ghazipur, late Thursday over his alleged controversial comments regarding the ongoing Mahakumbh.

1 min

BJP likely to redraw ally course

Readies for possible shifts in its alliances, particularly with JD(U), in battle for Bihar

1 min

Russia strikes Chernobyl plant: Zelenskyy

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that a Russian drone had struck a cover built to contain radiation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, adding that radiation levels were normal.

1 min

Israel Gets Names of 3 Hostages to Be Freed Today

ISRAEL said on Friday it had received the names of three hostages to be freed by militants this weekend, after a crisis in the ceasefire threatened to plunge Gaza back into war.

1 min

Reserve Bank takes control of New India Co-op Bank

THE Reserve Bank has sacked the board of the city-based New India Co-operative Bank and has appointed Shreekant, former chief general manager of SBI, as the administrator.

1 min

Sebi dismisses Gaekwad's open offer for Religare

Capital market regulator - the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Friday dismissed an application from USbased investor Digvijay 'Danny' Gaekwad (Danny Gaekwad Developments & Investments) who is seeking permission to make a competing open offer for Religare Enterprises Ltd (REL).

1 min

Investors lose ₹45L cr so far in 2025

Decline is driven by weak quarterly earnings, high valuations, consistent FII outflows

2 mins

BSNL reports profit of ₹262 crore in third quarter, first in 17 years

STATE-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Friday reported a net profit of ₹262 crore in the third quarter ending December 2024.

1 min

Perry, Richa fifties power RCB to highest run chase in WPL history

RICHA Ghosh and Ellyse Perry smashed forceful fifties as Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off the highest run chase in the history of Women's Premier League to register a thrilling six-wicket win over Gujarat Giants here on Friday.

1 min

Blame game begins between WFI & SAI

WAR of words seems to have intensified between the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) over the issue of wrestlers' participation in the upcoming Ranking Series in Albania.

1 min

Focus on Pro League with eye on future

Women's hockey team will be seeking improved show while youngsters from men's side will be looking to step up

2 mins

Sports advisory panel may ruffle NSFs, active athletes in list not correct

COMMITTEES and subcommittees seem to be the new flavour in the sports ministry.

2 mins

Amy Adams to star in Cape Fear series

Amy Adams has joined Javier Bardem in a lead role in a series adaptation of the thriller Cape Fear for Apple TV+, with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg serving as producers.

1 min

The Weekend Brunch

TMS explores brunch, a leisurely treat that has now turned into much more—a celebration of food, culture, and connection

1 min

The Artful Murders: Delhi Crime Meets Canvas

Well-known theatre director Feisal Alkazi tries his hand at a Delhi noir, sets it in the art world, and gets two curious women detectives on the trail of blood.

4 mins

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