LIVE: ED gets Manish Sisodia's remand till March 17 in excise policy case

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A Delhi court is to hear on Friday the bail application of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the now-scrapped excise policy case.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on Thursday and agreed to launch a India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue, led by Foreign Secretary from the Ministry of External Affairs of India and Under Secretary, Bureau of Industry and Security in US Department of Commerce.
 

After Holi, the Yogi government has started a double attack against the mafia and criminals across Uttar Pradesh, an official statement said. According to an official statement, after the state investigative agencies, now the Central Investigation Agency CBI has also opened its front against the mafia. "The CBI team reached Kaushambi on Thursday to collect the account of the crime-acquired property of Abdul Qavi, the shooter of Atiq Ahmed".

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday flagged "flawed" reports of some agencies and organisations, saying they cause more damage to the credibility of election management bodies as the pioneering work done by them finds no place in such surveys.

9:25 PM

Uttar Pradesh cabinet approves New Sports Policy 2023

9:24 PM

Nirav Modi claims he has no funds to pay UK court fines

Nirav Modi, the fugitive diamond merchant wanted in India to stand trial on fraud and money laundering charges, has claimed that he has no funds and is resorting to borrowing money to pay the court-ordered legal costs amounting to more than 150,000 pounds.

 

6:29 PM

Meeting to review of H3N2 Influenza virus

Held a meeting to review rising cases of H3N2 Influenza virus. Advisory issued to States to be on the alert and closely monitor the situation. Govt of India is working with States & extending support for public health measures to address the situation: Union Health Minister

 

6:06 PM

OYO Founder Ritesh Agarwal's father dies after fall from Gurugram high-rise

Oyo Rooms founder Ritesh Agarwal's father Ramesh Agarwal died after falling from a high-rise in Haryana's Gurugram this afternoon, police said, according to NDTV. They received information from DLF security at around 1 pm that a person had fallen from the 20th floor of DLF's The Crest society in sector 54, Gurugram.
 

"He was taken to Paras Hospital for treatment. A team along with SHO sector 53 visited the place of occurrence. During inspection of place of occurrence, the fallen person was identified as Ramesh Parsad Agarwal. He was brought dead to Paras Hospital," police said. His body was handed over to the family after autopsy.

2:58 PM

India global example of using technology for making available efficient services: VP Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said that India is a global example where "we have used technology for making available efficient services to the people".

"Technology enables accessibility and reduces out of pocket expenditure for citizens," he said at the second International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA) 2023 here.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was also present on the occasion.

2:50 PM

Centre announces 10% reservation for ex-Agniveers in BSF recruitment

The Centre has announced 10 per cent reservation for ex-Agniveers in vacancies within the Border Security Force (BSF).

For this, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015, which has come into effect from Thursday.

The notification issued by the MHA on March 6, added that the upper age limit will be relaxed by five years for the candidates of the first batch of ex-Agniveers in the recruitment of constables.

2:36 PM

Lies on migrant workers a fallout of call for opposition unity against BJP: Tamil Nadu CM

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has alleged the "lies spread" regarding the attacks on migrant workers in the state was a fallout of his recent call for opposition unity to dislodge the ruling BJP at the Centre next year and blamed the saffron party functionaries for doing so.

In his "Ungalil Oruvan" question and answer series, the chief of the ruling DMK asserted no migrant worker in the state has been assaulted as alleged.

2:07 PM

Long Covid much less likely after Omicron infection: Study

The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is much less likely to lead to long Covid than the variant circulating at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, new research shows.

 

The study found that healthcare workers infected with the original wild-type virus were up to 67 per cent more likely to report symptoms of long Covid than those who hadn't had Covid-19.

1:59 PM

Centre's portal asking farmers to mention caste for fertiliser purchase: Oppn tells Maha Assembly

Opposition members on Friday alleged in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that farmers in Sangli district of the state were being asked to mention their caste on a Union government's online portal for the purchase of fertilisers, prompting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to assure rectification in the system.

Shinde said the central government will be asked to remove the column on the portal where farmers are required to mention their caste.

1:44 PM

Bizman Arun Pillai moves application in Delhi court retracting statements given to ED

Arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai on Friday moved an application before Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court seeking to retract his statements given to the central agency in the excise policy case.

 

The court on Tuesday sent Pillai to the ED custody till March 13 after the agency arrested him late night on Monday post questioning him for hours in the case.

1:30 PM

Unidentified caller threatens to blow up BKU leader Rakesh Tikait: Police

An unidentified person has threatened to blow up Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait and his family if he does not disassociate himself from farmer protests, police said on Friday.

 

They said Gaurav Tikait, son of Rakesh Tikait's brother and BKU president Naresh Tikait, has filed a complaint that he has received a phone call from an unidentified person who has threatened to target Rakesh Tikait and his family members with a bomb if he does not stay away from farmer agitations.

1:14 PM

R K Singh launches portal to ensure availability of power amid peak season

Union Power Minister R K Singh has launched a portal to ensure greater availability of power during the peak demand season at a price higher than the ceiling of Rs 12 per unit by certain category of sellers.

 

The central government has launched a High Price Day Ahead Market (HP-DAM) and Surplus Power Portal (PUShP), a power ministry statement said.

12:57 PM

India, US ink MoU on semiconductor supply chain, innovation partnership

India and the US on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership during the Commercial Dialogue 2023 here, the commerce ministry said.

 

On the invitation of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo visited Delhi between March 7 and 10.

12:37 PM

BJP holds protest against Delhi govt over liquor policy

Several BJP leaders, including South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri, and party workers on Friday held a protest here against the Kejriwal government's now-scrapped liquor policy.

 

They were raising slogans against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and demanding his resignation.

12:23 PM

Employees demonstrate in front of gates of govt offices in Bengal demanding hike in DA

Demonstrators picketed before the gates of state government offices and educational institutions demanding hike in Dearness Allowance (DA) as the day-long strike called by some organisations of West Bengal government employees began on Friday.

 

Demonstrators squatted in front of the gates of state government offices like Writers Building, Bikash Bhavan, Khadya Bhavan, Swastha Bhavan, and Kolkata Municipal Corporation.