Latest News LIVE updates: TMC MLA Arindam Bhattacharya joins BJP

'I was elected on Congress symbol but extended support to TMC so that development happens but it didn't', said the MLA. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

Latest LIVE News Updates: Another Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Arindam Bhattacharya joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi on Wednesday ahead of West Bengal Assembly polls this year.
Madrid's emergency services say rescue teams, firefighters and police are working in a central area of the Spanish capital following an explosion that witnesses described as extremely loud. 

Earlier in the day, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday released financial assistance of Rs 2,691 crore to 6.1 lakh beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Modi released the assistance via video conference.Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion.

The Union Cabinet today approved an investment proposal of Rs 5,281.94 crore for the 850 MW Ratle hydro power project on river Chenab in Kishtwar district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

In another news, the Supreme Court today dismissed a batch of pleas seeking review of its 2018 verdict upholding the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but striking down some of its provisions, including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions.

Bhutan and Maldives today became the first two countries to receive Covid-19 vaccines sent by India in sync with its 'neighbourhood first' policy.
 

Stay tuned for the latest news of the day.

9:17 PM

Indian Railway Finance Corporation IPO subscribed 3.49 times on final day

The initial public offer of Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited was subscribed 3.49 times on the final day of bidding on Wednesday. The offer received bids for 4,35,22,57,225 shares against 1,24,75,05,993 shares on offer.

 

Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) category was subscribed 3.78 times, non institutional investors 2.67 times and retail individual investors (RIIs) 3.66 times.

 

The initial public offer of up to 178.20 crore shares, comprises a fresh issue of up to 118.80 crore shares and an offer for sale of up to 59.40 crore shares. Price range for the offer was fixed at Rs 25-26 per share. IRFC had on Friday raised a little over Rs 1,398 crore from anchor investors. READ ON...

9:01 PM

Loud explosion rocks central Madrid; rescue teams to site

8:51 PM

Cabinet approves Rs 5,000 crore investment for 850 MW Ratle hydro power project in Kishtwar

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an investment proposal of Rs 5,281.94 crore for the 850 MW Ratle hydro power project on river Chenab in Kishtwar district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, an official statement said.

 

The project will be constructed by a joint venture company (JVC) to be incorporated between National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC) with equity contribution of 51 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively.

 

The Government of India is also supporting the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by providing grant of Rs 776.44 crore for equity contribution of JKSPDC in the JVC, the statement added.

 

NHPC shall invest Rs 808.14 crore from its internal resources. The Ratle hydro electric project shall be commissioned within 60 months.

8:25 PM

Nasdaq hits record high at open as Netflix soars; Joe Biden takes office

US stocks opened near record highs on Wednesday, as Joe Biden prepared to take charge as US President, while Netflix jumped after saying it will no longer need to borrow billions of dollars to finance its TV shows and movies.

 

The Nasdaq Composite rose 145.4 points, or 1.10%, to an all-time high of 13342.548 at the opening bell.

 

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 87.00 points, or 0.28%, at the open to 31017.54. The S&P 500 rose 17.30 points, or 0.46%, at the open to 3816.22.

7:11 PM

SC rejects pleas seeking review of 2018 Aadhaar verdict

The Supreme Court has dismissed a batch of pleas seeking review of its 2018 verdict upholding the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but striking down some of its provisions, including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions.

 

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar, by a majority of 4:1, rejected the review pleas against the apex court's September 26, 2018 verdict. Justice D Y Chandrachud, one of the five-judges of the bench, dissented with the majority verdict and said that the review petitions be kept pending until a larger bench decides the question related to certification of a bill as a money bill.

 

The Aadhaar Bill was certified as a money bill which enabled the government to get it cleared without getting the assent of a majority in Rajya Sabha.

6:26 PM

NCB arrests Dawood Ibrahim's aide in drugs case

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Wednesday arrested gangster Parvez Khan alias Chinku Pathan, a henchman of fugitive Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, in connection with a drugs case from neighbouring Navi Mumbai, an official said, adding some drugs were also seized.

 

Khan is also a relative of late Karim Lala- a mafia don in Mumbai who remained active for more than two decades from the sixties to the early eighties. On a specific information, a team of NCB sleuths led by Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede picked up Parvez Khan from his hideout, he said.

 

Khan, a notorious drugs supplier, has several cases pending against him under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the official said. Khan also has links with some drug peddlers, who were arrested earlier by the NCB for Mephedrone (MD) trade.

5:52 PM

TMC MLA Arindam Bhattacharya joins BJP

5:10 PM

Mamata Banerjee inaugurates development projects ahead of assembly polls

Ahead of the assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday inaugurated a slew of development projects in four districts from here and took a veiled dig at those who unveil a single project on a day and keep talking about it.

 

The chief minister inaugurated 40 development projects in Purulia, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur and Murshidabad districts from here through virtual mode.

 

"Some people are in the habit of inaugurating a single project on a day. But we are working on so many projects that we don't have time to spare like them. "Before leaving for Kolkata today, I am inaugurating all these projects which may appear to be small but will create great impact," Banerjee said. READ MORE...

4:25 PM

BJP supporters raise slogan 'desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalo ko" during a party rally in West Bengal

3:51 PM

Arindam Bhattacharya, TMC MLA from Shantipur to join BJP in Delhi today

3:37 PM

NGT directs SPCBs to follow CPCB guidelines to check pollution caused due to gold testing

The National Green Tribunal has directed all the state pollution control boards (SPCBs) to follow Guidelines for Gold Assaying Hallmarking Centres issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to check pollution caused due to testing of gold. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the CPCB to monitor that all the states ans UTs strictly adhere to the guidelines so that environmental norms are met.

 

The tribunal's direction came while disposing of a plea filed by James Jose, Managing Director, CGR Hallmarkers Pvt. Ltd, seeking regulatory regime to check acidic activities in testing of gold in Kerala.

 

The plea alleged that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) released acids in the environment while testing gold.

 

3:26 PM

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan launches Rozgar Utsav under 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' initiative

3:02 PM

Kerala Assembly polls likely in April: CEO

Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer Tikkaram Meena has submitted a report to the Election Commission, recommending that the Kerala Assembly election be held by early or middle of April. Meena while speaking to IANS said "The conduct of elections before middle of April will be ideal as the holy Ramzan month commences by mid-April till May. Also CBSE board exams are on May 4 and we will have shortage of schools which are used as polling stations".

 

A team of EC officials will reach the state shortly and hold meetings with representatives of political parties, officials and others regarding the conduct of polls.

 

There are possibilities of a two-phase poll and EC officials will be seeking extensive feedback from the stakeholders including political parties and arrive at a decision, a senior official said.

2:21 PM

Cabinet approves MoU with Uzbekistan for cooperation in solar energy

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave ex-post facto approval to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of solar energy.

 

"The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was apprised of signing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of solar energy," an official statement said.

 

According to statement, the main area of work under the MoU is to identify research/demonstration/pilot projects between the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, India and the International Solar Energy Institute (ISEI), Uzbekistan in the mutually identified areas.

 

These areas are solar photovoltaic, storage technologies and transfer of technology. Based on mutual agreement, both parties would work for implementation and deployment of pilot projects in International Solar Alliance (ISA) member countries.

1:58 PM

PM Modi releases Rs 2,691 crore for 6.1 lakh PMAY-G beneficiaries in UP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday released financial assistance of Rs 2,691 crore to 6.1 lakh beneficiaries in Uttar Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Modi released the assistance via video conference.Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion.

 

The assistance includes release of first installment to 5.30 lakh beneficiaries and second installment to 80,000 beneficiaries who have already availed of the first installment of assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G).

 

Modi had given a call of Housing for All by 2022, for which a flagship programme of PMAY-G was launched on November 20, 2016. So far 1.26 crore houses have already been built across the country under the scheme, an official release said.