Thursday, March 12
Following AAP's defeat in Delhi, the party's central leadership is focusing on Punjab, its only governed state. Senior leaders Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain are now overseeing key portfolios, leading to concerns about Delhi's influence and rising corruption. The BJP criticizes this "outsourcing" of governance, while AAP defends it as guidance for the benefit of Punjab.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's inflammatory remarks against those opposing Hindi imposition in Maharashtra have ignited a political firestorm. Dubey's threat to "thrash" Hindi speakers' detractors drew sharp criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties, who accused the BJP of attempting to divide the state for electoral gains.
Chirag Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister, declared his candidacy for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, vowing to champion the state's future. He pledged to fulfill his father's vision of 'Bihar first, Bihari first' and advocated for a domicile policy in government jobs to benefit the state's youth, a stance differing from other NDA members.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has petitioned the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging it disenfranchises millions, particularly migrant and poor voters, at the behest of the BJP. Moitra claims the process violates constitutional provisions and the Representation of People's Act, citing new document requirements that exclude common IDs.
In a tragic turn of events, a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district has left a ten-month-old baby, Neetika, as the sole survivor of her family. Her father died trying to divert floodwater, while her mother and grandmother remain missing. Local authorities are providing assistance, and a bank account will be opened in Neetika's name to support her future.
A UK Royal Air Force Airbus A400M arrived in Kerala carrying aviation engineers to repair a stranded British F-35B Lightning fighter jet. The jet made an emergency landing at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport due to an engineering issue. The repair work will be carried out at the airport's MRO facility with support from Indian authorities and the Indian Air Force.
The CUET-UG 2025 results saw two women among the top three, with Ananya Jain leading. Despite high scores, candidates are questioning syllabus deviations, errors, and the normalisation process. While registrations increased slightly, the number of test-takers declined, and fewer universities participated amid concerns about the exam's framework. Frustration persists over discrepancies, especially in the physical education paper.
Following the gangrape of a student at South Calcutta Law College on June 25, the three accused, Monojit Mishra, Pramit Mukherjee, and Zaib Ahmed, allegedly spent hours drinking in the college guard room. They warned the security guard to remain silent before leaving for dinner.
India has clarified its stance on the Dalai Lama's succession, stating it doesn't take a position on religious matters, despite a minister's personal support for the Dalai Lama's wishes. This comes as China cautioned India against interfering in Tibetan affairs, a comment later omitted from their official briefing transcript.
