Highlights: Car securing route for CM Yogi's cavalcade meets with accident

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Latest LIVE updates: India's annual defence production is expected to touch a whopping Rs 3 lakh crore and exports of military hardware is poised to reach Rs 50,000 crore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. In an address at a defence conclave, Singh, delving into structural defence reforms, said the three services used to work in "silos" earlier but now they are ready with better coordination to deal with every challenge jointly.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday underscored the Quad's transformation into a "significant and substantive platform" for four major Indo-Pacific democracies while highlighting its role in upholding an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. In an address during the closing day of the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital, Jaishankar acknowledged the Quad's emergence as a response to global necessities, emphasising that it has matured into a dynamic entity with creative, flexible, and nimble characteristics.

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Congress and AAP announce seat-sharing in Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Chandigarh and Goa. Following is the seat arrangement between both parties:

Delhi (7 seats): Congress to contest on 3 and AAP on 4

Gujarat (26 seats): Congress to contest on 24 and AAP on 2 (in Bharuch and Bhavnagar)

Haryana (10 seats): Congress to contest 9 and AAP on 1 (Kurukshetra)

Chandigarh: Congress to contest on the lone seat

Goa: Congress to contest on both seats

Both the Congress and AAP are part of the INDIA bloc, a coalition formed by opposition parties with the aim of challenging the BJP in the upcoming general elections. 

 
Moving towards the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, the Assam Cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, decided on Friday to revoke the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, 1935. Consequently, the Special Marriages Act will govern all aspects of Muslim marriages and divorces. State Minister Jayanta Mallabarua, addressing the media following the Cabinet meeting, described this move as a significant stride towards realizing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

During the budget session on Friday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar emphasized that electricity in the state would not be distributed for free, clarifying that the government offers it at a significantly reduced cost. Nitish Kumar reiterated that he had consistently communicated that providing electricity without charge was not on the agenda. From the outset, Nitish Kumar stated, "I have been saying since the beginning that it will not be given for free. We provide it at a very low price so that it remains affordable. In some states, they announce that they will provide it for free, but we never said that." The Chief Minister further underlined this stance, asserting, "Even during the elections, we communicated that this is for everyone's safety; it will not be provided for free.

The Pakistan government has implemented Section 144 in the southern region of the province in anticipation of an upcoming protest coinciding with the inaugural session of the provincial assembly, where newly elected members will convene. This decision, reported by Geo News, comes as the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam have declared intentions to organize a demonstration outside the assembly building, raising concerns about alleged election rigging.

10:58 PM

HC orders arrest' of foreign cargo ship over unpaid berth hire charges

The Orissa High Court has ordered the arrest' of a foreign cargo ship in connection with unpaid berth hire charges at the Paradip Port in the state. Under an admiralty law, a ship can be arrested for the enforcement of maritime claims that arise out of the ownership, construction, possession, management, operation, or trading of any ship.

10:28 PM

J&K to be north's power hub after hydro projects completion: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir is all set to emerge as north India's major "power hub after the completion of ongoing power projects with a total capacity of 6,000 MW. The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office visited the 120-MW Seva-II hydropower project located on Himachal-J&K border near Bani in Kathua district, a part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency.

10:07 PM

NITI Aayog VC Bery meets Uber CEO Khosrowshahi

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery on Saturday met Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and discussed issues related sustainable mobility and economic empowerment. "NITI Aayog VC @suman_bery held a productive meeting with Mr. Dara Khosrowshahi @dkhos, @Uber CEO today," the Aayog said in a tweet.

 

9:46 PM

Election for two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand on Mar 21

The biennial elections to two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand will be held on March 21, an official said here on Saturday. Two Rajya Sabha MPs from the state - Samir Oraon of the BJP and Diraj Prasad Sahu of the Congress - will complete their tenure on May 3, necessitating the conduct of fresh elections to fill up the posts, the Election Commission said.

9:36 PM

Punjab farmer hospitalised at Rohtak being shifted to PGIMER Chandigarh after Mann govt's letter

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Saturday said a farmer from the state who was injured during their protest and was hospitalised at PGI Rohtak will be shifted to PGIMER Chandigarh, a development that comes hours after the Punjab government wrote to Haryana demanding he be handed over to them. Earlier in the day, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma wrote to his Haryana counterpart Sanjeev Kaushal demanding that the injured farmer, Preetpal Singh, be handed over to authorities in Punjab.

8:54 PM

Won't end agitation until our demands met, says farmer leader Pandher

Farmers participating in the 'Delhi Chalo' call will not end their agitation until their demands are met, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said on Saturday while indicating that their stir may continue even after the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls comes into force. Thousands of farmers have been staying put at Khanauri and Shambhu points on Punjab's border with Haryana along with their tractor-trolleys and trucks after their march to the national capital to press the Centre for various demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for crops, was stopped by security forces.

8:36 PM

Uttarakhand Police nabs Haldwani violence 'mastermind' from Delhi

The Uttarakhand Police on Saturday arrested the February 8. Haldwani violence alleged mastermind Abdul Malik from Delhi and brought him here, officials said. Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police Prahlad Narayan Meena said six teams were formed to search for Malik and his son Abdul Moid in different states including Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

8:17 PM

Congress will not be able to open its account in UP this time: Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday said the Congress will not be able to open its account in Uttar Pradesh this time as party leader leader Rahul Gandhi has raised a question mark on the intelligence of the people of the state. Thakur said the people of Uttar Pradesh have elected four generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family and sent them to the Lok Sabha.

7:41 PM

Shah to visit MP on Sunday to review BJP's Lok Sabha poll preparations

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to review the BJP's preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the party's state unit chief VD Sharma said. Shah will visit Gwalior, Khajuraho and Bhopal and hold meetings with party functionaries and also address a public meeting, Sharma said.

 

6:51 PM

Defence production expected to touch Rs 3 trn: Rajnath

India's annual defence production is expected to touch a whopping Rs 3 trillion and exports of military hardware is poised to reach Rs 50,000 crore, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. In an address at a defence conclave, Singh, delving into structural defence reforms, said the three services used to work in "silos" earlier but now they are ready with better coordination to deal with every challenge jointly.

6:32 PM

Ram temple in Ayodhya receives donations of around Rs 25 crore

The newly constructed Ram temple has received donations, including 25 kg gold and silver ornament, of around Rs 25 crore in a month after the consecration ceremony on January 22, trust officials on Saturday said. Prakash Gupta, office in charge of the Ram temple trust, said the amount of Rs 25 crore include cheques, drafts and cash deposited in the temple trust's office along with those deposited in the donation boxes.

6:17 PM

24 die as tractor-trolley falls in UP's Kasganj, CM announces compensation

Twenty-four people, including eight children, died when their tractor-trolley overturned and fell into a pond in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj district on Saturday morning, police said. They said 15 to 20 people were injured in the accident that occurred on the Patiyali-Dariyavganj road under the Patiyali police station area when the occupants of the tractor-trolley were going to take a bath in the Ganga river.

6:14 PM

Rajasthan CM Sharma flags off mobile veterinary units for urgent medical services

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Saturday flagged off 21 mobile veterinary units to provide urgent medical services to animals. Another 159 units were inaugurated in functions at the district level.

5:53 PM

PM Modi to lay foundation stone for 28 stations over Eastern Railway on Mon

General Manager Eastern Railway Milind K Deouskar on Saturday at Eastern Railway Headquarters here briefed media people about the ongoing development work of Eastern Railway in particular and about the redevelopment of stations and construction of Road Overbridges (ROBs)/ underpasses over Indian Railways in general for ease of movement as well as providing more facilities and amenities to the passengers. At the press meet Milind K Deouskar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to lay the foundation stone for 28 stations over Eastern Railway under this scheme at a cost of Rs 704 crore on February 26.

5:36 PM

HC asks Delhi govt, police to inform it about action plan to tackle bomb threats to schools

The Delhi High Court has asked the city government and the police to inform it about an "action plan" to deal with frequent instances of bomb threats to schools in the national capital. The court also issued notice to the authorities on an application filed by the petitioner, lawyer Arpit Bhargava, who claimed out of five incidents of bomb threats to schools last year, three are yet to be investigated and taken to their logical conclusion.