CBI brings Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi on February 27, 2023.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Delhi excise scam case | Manish Sisodia sent to CBI custody till March 4
A Delhi court on February 27 sent Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia to five-day CBI custody till March 4. Earlier in the day, the CBI produced Mr. Sisodia, arrested in a corruption case related to the excise policy, before a city court and sought five-day custody. During the more-than-an-hour-long hearing on February 27, Mr. Sisodia’s counsel said that it was the Lieutenant Governor who had approved the changes in the excise policy and that the Central probe agency was going after the elected government. Mr. Sisodia claimed that there was no evidence against him and opposed the CBI’s plea for his remand.
Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea by doctors to postpone NEET-PG 2023
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain petitions by doctors seeking postponement of the NEET-PG 2023 (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Post Graduate) exam scheduled for March 5. “We are not entertaining these petitions,” a Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Dipankar Datta said after a nearly hour-long hearing. Nearly 20 doctors, represented by senior advocates Gopal Sankaranarayan, Vivek Tankha and advocate Charu Mathur, had moved the apex court seeking a postponement in the exam date from March 5. They said there was a nearly six-month gap between the exam on March 5 and the internship cut-off date of August 11. The counselling would take place only after August 11 as the candidates would have to present their internship completion certificates during the counselling.
Assembly polls | Nagaland reports 81.94% voter turnout till 5 p.m., 74.32% in Meghalaya
Voter turnout of 81.94% was recorded in the Nagaland Assembly Elections till 5 p.m., according to the ECI, while it was 74.32% for Meghalaya. Polling in both States, across 59 Assembly constituencies each, was held on February 27 in which more than 34 lakh electors will choose their new representatives from among 552 candidates.
Delhi HC upholds constitutional validity of Agnipath scheme
The Delhi High Court on February 27 upheld the validity of the Agnipath scheme for the temporary recruitment of youths into the armed forces. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad dismissed a bunch of petitions challenging the Central Government’s scheme and maintained that it has been introduced in “national interest”.
PM Modi releases over ₹16,000 crore to farmer beneficiaries in latest instalment under PM-KISAN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 27 released the 13th installment of over ₹16,000 crore, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, through direct benefit transfer to more than eight crore beneficiaries. Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments of ₹2,000 each. During the programme, PM Modi also dedicated the redeveloped Belagavi Railway Station building, to the nation. The railway station has been redeveloped at an approximate cost of about ₹190 crore to provide world-class amenities to the passengers.
History of invasions dug up to keep the country on the boil: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on February 27 said India cannot “remain a prisoner of the past” with its history of invasions being constantly dug up and served on the plate of the present and future generations to “keep the country on the boil”. “History of a nation cannot haunt the present and future generations of a nation, so that succeeding generations become prisoners of the past,” a Bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and B.V. Nagarathna said. The observations were made while hearing a petition filed by petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who sought a judicial direction to the Home Ministry to constitute a ‘Renaming Commission’ to restore the ancient Hindu names of historic and religious places and roads across the country which were looted by “barbaric, brutal, cruel invaders” in the 15th century.
Kashmiri Muslims need to protect Pandits from assailants: Mehbooba Mufti
Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on February 27 appealed to Kashmiri Muslims to “provide safety to the minority community members and save them from attackers,” as she visited the family of a Kashmiri Pandit who was shot dead in Pulwama on February 26. Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also condemned the killing.
Khushbu Sundar nominated as member of National Commission for Women
Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar from Tamil Nadu has been nominated as a member of the National Commission for Women. She is presently the member of the BJP’s national executive committee. In a social media post, BJP’s Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai congratulated Ms. Sundar on behalf of his party and further said it was a recognition of her relentless pursuit and fight for women’s rights.
Magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits Turkey; more buildings collapse
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook southern Turkey on February 27 — three weeks after a catastrophic temblor devastated the region — causing some buildings to collapse, an official said. There were no immediate reports of any casualties. The earthquake was centered in the town of Yesilyurt in Malatya province, the country’s disaster management agency said. Yesilyurt’s mayor, Mehmet Cinar, told HaberTurk television that a few buildings had collapsed in the town.
Former Nepal PM Oli’s party withdraws support to Prachanda-led government in Nepal
Former Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli-led CPN-UML party on February 27 decided to withdraw its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’- led government, citing changes in the political equation, dealing yet another jolt to the fragile two-month-old ruling coalition in the country. The Communist Party of Nepal-(Unified Marxist-Leninist) made the formal announcement after top leaders of the party met on the day, according to The Kathmandu Post newspaper.
World Bank’s IFC to provide Sri Lanka with $400 million financing
The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s investment arm, said it will provide Sri Lanka with a $400 million cross-currency swap facility to help fund essential imports. Three private banks will receive the facility to fund about 30% of imports, including medicine, food and fertiliser, the IFC said in a statement on February 27. The funds will provide a much-needed foreign exchange cushion for Sri Lanka, which is grappling with its worst financial crisis in over seven decades partly triggered by a severe shortage of dollars.
Vinesh Phogat says member of oversight committee leaked sensitive information in MeToo investigation
Vinesh Phogat has alleged that a member of the oversight committee, tasked with investigating the sexual harassment accusations against coach Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is leaking sensitive information to the media. This “reckless” behaviour not only undermines women’s dignity and safety, but also compromises the fairness of the MeToo investigation, she wrote in a Twitter post on February 26 evening. In the post, Ms. Phogat wrote, “It has come to my recent awareness that a sportsperson member of the Oversight Committee has been allegedly leaking contents of the complaint of sexual harassment while reading certain media reports since yesterday.” She tagged Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
