The recent judgment of the Delhi High Court upholding the right of unaided schools to apply screening procedure for nursery admissions to unreserved category of students has brought cheer to many schools, and disappointment to social activists. The schools and many parents are relieved that the cloud of uncertainty around the admission process has withered away at least for this academic year. However, the battle is far from over. The judgment is likely to be appealed in Supreme Court. That may be a positive development as it may settle similar issues that are arising in various states on the applicability of the Right to Education Act.Since an appeal looks likely, it is important to examine the judgment for its robustness. On pure judicial reasoning, the judgment appears fragile. A few examples will suffice.Based on a certain construction of Section 35 of the RTE Act, the court comes to a conclusion that guidelines and directions issued under the RTE Act do not

Abhishek Tripathi & Mani Gupta: RTE's continuing woes

Business Standard

The Supreme Court has asked the Bombay High Court and the Maharashtra government to evolve a mechanism to ensure that accused are produced before trial judges either physically or virtually on every date so that the trial is not prolonged.
The apex court, while dealing with an appeal challenging the Bombay High Court order denying bail to an accused, said a "sorry state of affairs" was being depicted as the trial proceedings in the case was being prolonged due to non-production of appellant before the trial judge either physically or virtually.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan was informed that this was not a solitary case but in many cases, such a difficulty arises.
"We, therefore, direct the registrar general of the high court of judicature at Bombay, secretary, Home, state of Maharashtra and secretary, Law and Justice, state of Maharashtra to sit together and evolve a mechanism to ensure that the accused are produced before the trial judge either physically or ..

Supreme Court, SC

Delhi Police claimed to have identified 175 people during their verification drive against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the national capital, officials said on Sunday.
The 12-hour verification drive began at 6 pm on Saturday in outer Delhi area, the officials said.
"Police have intensified their efforts to identify and detain individuals residing without valid documentation. As part of the ongoing operations, 175 individuals have been identified as suspected illegal Bangladeshi immigrants during extensive verification drives in outer Delhi," a senior police officer said.
The city police launched a drive for the identification of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in Delhi on December 11, a day after the LG Secretariat ordered a crackdown on such persons.
"Concerned about the growing number of undocumented immigrants, the Outer District Police has launched a series of targeted operations and joint checks in various areas under its jurisdiction," the police officer said.
H

Rohingyas, Rohingya refugees

The India Conference at Harvard (ICH) announced on Sunday that Nita Ambani, a trailblazer in philanthropy, education, and culture, will take centre stage at the highly anticipated India Conference at Harvard, scheduled for February 15-16, 2025, in Boston.
"As one of India's most influential voices, Ambani has profoundly impacted over 80 million lives through her social equity initiatives and continues to advocate for India's global potential," a statement by the organisers said.
Her recent achievements -- including hosting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in India after four decades and championing India's bid for the 2036 Olympics -- symbolise the nation's growing influence on the global stage.
The India Conference at Harvard is one of the largest and most influential student-led India-focused conferences in the US. An annual event hosted jointly at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School fosters dialogue on India's evolving role in global affairs, ...

Harvard University

The country's leather and footwear exports are expected to grow by over 12 per cent to USD 5.3 billion in the current financial year on account of healthy demand in key global markets, CLE Chairman Rajendra Kumar Jalan has said.
He also said several global companies, including from the US, are showing keen interest in setting up manufacturing bases in India.
"Our exports were USD 4.69 billion in 2023-24, and this fiscal, we are expecting it to increase to USD 5.3 billion. Order books are good for the coming months," Jalan said, adding that "huge demand is coming from the US and UK".
Indian exporters are exploring business opportunities in Africa as well, he added.
He informed that the industry is labour intensive, providing employment to about 42 lakh people. The sector has a total turnover of about USD 19 billion, which includes exports of USD 5 billion.
"The sector has the potential to reach a total turnover of USD 47 billion by 2030, which includes the domestic production of US

Kanpur leather tanneries

Speaking about the contributions of Maha Periyavar to the international fora, Jaishankar highlighted Periyavar's Maithreem Bhajatham, a musical composition that promotes universal brotherhood

S Jaishankar, Jaishankar

GST Council addresses disaster levy, clarifies tax exemptions, and revises ITC norms, while deferring insurance premium GST cut and key rate rationalisation decisions

GST council meeting

After two weeks of buying, FPIs turned net sellers in Indian equities this week, with a net withdrawal of Rs 976 crore amid a strengthening US dollar and steady rise in US 10-year bond yields, impacting investor sentiment.
Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) began the week on a positive note, investing Rs 3,126 crore in equities during the first two trading sessions (December 16-20).
However, the trend reversed in the latter half of the week, with FPIs offloading equities worth over Rs 4,102 crore in the subsequent three sessions. This resulted in an overall net outflow of Rs 976 crore during the week, data from National Securities Depository Limited showed.
Despite this short-term reversal, the broader December trend remains positive. FPIs have infused Rs 21,789 crore into Indian equities so far this month, reflecting continued confidence in India's economic growth potential and its resilient markets.
FPIs adopted a cautious approach due to the US Fed meeting and uncertainty about 

Foreign portfolio investor exodus: Financial sector bears the brunt, FPI

Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said another meeting of the GoM is scheduled for January before the proposal is reintroduced to the GST Council

Amid controversy over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar, Kejriwal launches Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship, pledging support for Dalit students pursuing studies abroad

Kejriwal, Arvind Kejriwal

Fundraising via IPOs in India hit another landmark as economic growth, favourable market conditions and improvements in the regulatory framework helped companies raise a record Rs 1.6 lakh crore in 2024, while the pipeline for the next year holds out bigger promise.
This exceptional year not only reflected the confidence of issuers but also highlighted investors' eagerness to seize listing-day gains or back companies with strong long-term growth potential.
The year was marked by Hyundai Motor India's historic IPO, the largest in the country's history, which raised Rs 27,870 crore.
Companies of varying market capitalisations -- large, mid, and small -- tapped into the IPO route in 2024, with the average issue size rising significantly from Rs 867 crore in 2023 to over Rs 1,700 crore in 2024.
The exceptional vibrancy of the IPO market was evident, with December alone seeing at least 15 launches.
"Rising retail participation, strong domestic inflows and active participation by FPIs (

ipo market listing share market

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said India is often advised to address the issues of its minorities, but now we are seeing the situation minority communities face in other countries.
Speaking at the inauguration of 'Hindu Seva Mahotsav' here, he also said that an attempt is being made to establish hegemony by talking about world peace.  "Big announcements are being made about world peace. We (India ) are also being advised about world peace, but at the same time, wars are not stopping. While we are often told to worry about the minorities in our country, we are witnessing what kind of situation minorities are facing outside," he said.  While the RSS chief made no reference to the violence against the Hindu community in neighbouring Bangladesh, the RSS has, in the recent weeks, expressed concern about the situation of the Hindus in that country after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.
"Manav dharma (humanity) is the eternal dhamra of all the 

Mohan Bhagwat, Mohan

Bharatiya Janata Party's Member of Legislative Council in Maharashtra, Ram Shinde on Wednesday filed his nomination for the election of the Council's Chairperson.The election for the Chairperson's post is scheduled to be held on December 19.The MLC filed his nomination in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Ministers Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Chandrakant Dada Patil, Uday Samant and Jaykumar Rawal were present at Vidhan Bhavan, Nagpur.The official account of the Maharashtra CM posted about the nomination on X, and showed the leaders present congratulating Shinde on the nomination."I sincerely thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Home Minister of the country, Amit Shah, the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, J P Nadda Ji, the Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule as well as all the leaders of NDA and ...

BJP Flag, BJP

Zomato share price: Thus far in the calendar year 2024, Zomato share price has more-than-doubled investors' wealth as they have zoomed 135 per cent

Photo: Shutterstock

The parents of the doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar hospital moved the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking a fresh investigation into the crime.
Expressing a lack of confidence in the ongoing probe into the incident that led to huge protests, they prayed for a direction for a fresh investigation into the rape and murder of their daughter.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh asked their lawyer to add the CBI, which is probing the case, as a party in the petition and mention the matter again before the court on Monday.
The on-duty postgraduate trainee doctor's body was found in the seminar room of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The Sealdah court on December 13 granted bail to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and Tala police station's officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal in the case.
They were granted bail as the CBI failed to file charge sheets against them within the 90-day statutory period, according to their lawyers.
While 

Police at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday amid resident doctors’ protest.  The effects of the strike were felt in prominent hospitals	| Photo: PTI

Police at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday amid resident doctors' protest.  The effects of the strike were felt in prominent hospitals	| Photo: PTI

The Centre is actively engaging with states that have yet to achieve 100 per cent tap water connection coverage for rural households, Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil said on Thursday.
Speaking at a press conference here, the minister acknowledged that the 2024 deadline for ensuring tap water access in rural India has passed.
"There are still four crore households without tap water connections. The ministry is in discussions with the respective states and has urged them to expedite the process," he said.
Official data reveals that 79 per cent (15,37,22,950) of rural households have been provided with tap water connections so far. Over 19 crore rural households have been identified for coverage.
Among the states, West Bengal has the lowest coverage at 53.9 per cent, followed by Kerala at 54.13 per cent, Jharkhand at 54.62 per cent and Rajasthan at 54.95 per cent, according to the data.
Eleven states and Union territories have achieved 100 per cent coverage of tap water connections un

water tap water connection jal jeevan

The Banning of Unregulated Lending Activities Bill calls for the CBI to handle probes in cases spanning multiple states or UTs

The Centre, in collaboration with states, has proposed to classify unregulated lending as a cognizable and non-bailable offence, with penalties including imprisonment of up to 10 years. The finance ministry has invited feedback by February 13 from st

The latest Economic Survey said, India has to find the right balance between importing goods from China and importing capital (FDI) from China

How policymakers are split over attracting Chinese investment into India

The official further noted that this year's Budget consultations are particularly significant due to the political outcomes of recent state elections

Nirmala Sitharaman, Nirmala

Congress calls FIR against Rahul Gandhi over Parliament scuffle a 'badge of honour', alleging BJP's vendetta and diversionary tactics to counter his protest against Amit Shah's Ambedkar remarks

Rahul Gandhi, Rahul, congress leader

The Opposition Congress has doubled down on its demand for Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation, citing his comments on B R Ambedkar

Rahul Gandhi, Rahul, Congress leader, Priyanka Gandhi, Priyanka

Abhishek Tripathi

Abhishek Tripathi

Abhishek Tripathi

Abhishek Tripathi & Mani Gupta: RTE's continuing woes

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SC asks HC, Maharashtra govt to ensure accused appear before trial courts

Delhi Police verification drive identifies 175 illegal B'deshi immigrants

Nita Ambani to lead India's global influence at Harvard India Conference

Leather exports likely to grow by over 12% to $5.3 bn this fiscal: CLE

Jaishankar receives 'Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi' award for leadership

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55th GST Council takes key decisions, defers rate cuts on insurance premium

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GST Council defers decision to reduce tax on health, life insurance

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IPO boom: Record Rs 1.6 trn raised in 2024; bigger gains expected in 2025