‘Worried’ about pending transfers, Supreme Court says a ‘lot more’ is needed to be done
The Government’s delay in clearing certain pending transfers, including that of Orissa High Court Chief Justice S. Muralidhar to Madras and reiterated Collegium recommendation of senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal for appointment as Delhi High Court judge among others, saw a “worried” Supreme Court observe that a “lot more” is needed to be done, though “some developments” have happened since the last hearing on February 3. “Some developments have happened, but a lot more needs to be done,” a three-judge Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul orally said.
The Centre has no objection to a proposal for setting up a panel of domain experts to look into strengthening the regulatory mechanisms for the stock market, the Supreme Court was told on February 13 while it was hearing pleas relating to the Adani stocks rout after the Hindenburg report. The central government, however, told a bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that it wanted to give the names of the domain experts for the committee and the scope of its mandate in a sealed cover in larger interest.
Supreme Court dismisses plea challenging delimitation in Jammu & Kashmir
The Supreme Court on February 13 dismissed a challenge concerning delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and A.S. Oka had found that the petitioners did not challenge the constitutional validity of a specific provision in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act which conferred the Delimitation Commission with the power to “carry out” the re-adjustment of constituencies in the Union Territory formed after the abrogation of Article 370 in the erstwhile State.
Will postpone February 16 mayoral polls, Delhi L-G office tells Supreme Court
The office of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor on February 13 told the Supreme Court that it would postpone the February 16 mayoral election to a date after February 17. A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, which posted for February 17 a plea filed by AAP mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi seeking early holding of the mayoral poll, observed that nominated members cannot vote in the election. “Nominated members cannot go for election. The constitutional provision is very clear,” the bench observed. As the top court bench posted the matter for hearing on Friday, Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the office of the L-G, said the February 16 election would be postponed to a date after February 17.
Rajya Sabha adjourned till March 13
The first part of the Budget session of Rajya Sabha was adjourned till March 13 on February 13, Monday, after continued disruptions by Opposition MPs who kept up their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into allegations against the Adani Group. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, who spoke about deliberate obstruction of proceedings, adjourned the House for the day after repeated appeals to bring order unheeded and Opposition MPs raised slogans in support of their demand for a JPC and also revocation of the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Patil.
India rejuvenated defence production sector in 8-9 years: Prime Minister Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13 showcased India as an attractive destination for investment in the defence manufacturing sector, and said the country will move towards becoming one of the leading exporters of military hardware globally backed by favourable economic policies. After inaugurating the 14th edition of Aero India at the Yelahanka Air Force station complex on the outskirts of Bengaluru, he said India has “rejuvenated” its defence production sector in the last eight-nine years and is looking at increasing the export of military hardware from $1.5 billion to $5 billion by 2024-25.
Five State-run general insurance companies have a total exposure of ₹347.64 crore, or 0.14% of their total assets under management (AUM), in Adani group of companies, Finance Ministry said on February 13. In reply to a question on details of money lent by banks and financial institutions to the Adani group, the Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha that the RBI Act prohibits disclosure of credit information submitted by a bank.
Death toll rises above 35,000 in Turkey, Syria earthquake
The toll from last week’s earthquake in Turkey and Syria rose above 35,000 on Monday, as rescue teams started to wind down the search for survivors and the aid effort shifted to hundreds of thousands of people made homeless. Eight days after the 7.8-magnitude tremor, Turkish media reported a handful of people were still being pulled from the rubble as excavators dug through ruined cities. The confirmed death toll rose to 35,224 as officials and medics said 31,643 people had died in Turkey and 3,581 in Syria after the February 6 earthquake, the fifth deadliest since the start of the 21st century.
Pakistan, U.S. to hold defence talks in Washington to boost security ties
Pakistan and the U.S. are set to hold defence talks in Washington on February 13 to enhance coordination on strategic issues and explore various options for ramping up bilateral military and security ties, the foreign office in Islamabad has announced. The talks, that will last from Monday to Thursday, would be the second round of the Pakistan-US Mid-Level Defence Dialogue after the first round was held in Pakistan in January 2021, it said in a statement on Sunday.
Boat with 69 Rohingyas from Bangladesh reach Andaman and Nicobar
A motorboat with 69 Rohingyas reached the Nicobar district on Monday morning, officials said. The boat, named ‘Ma-Babar Doa’ (blessings of parents), reached the Malacca jetty at Car Nicobar around 10.30 a.m., they said. The boat, which had 19 men, 22 women and 28 children, was on the way to Indonesia but due to bad weather, they came to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, officials said. The boat also ran out of fuel, they said.
Retail inflation rises to 3-month high of 6.52% in January
India’s retail inflation shot back up to 6.52% in January after a two-month streak below the 6% mark, with consumer food prices hardening again to 5.94% from 4.2% in December 2022, aided by a broad-based pick-up in price trends across goods and services. Vegetables which had reported a 15.1% fall in prices in December 2022, continued to be in deflationary territory falling 11.7% in January 2023, but most other food items continued to witness spiralling prices.
WPL auction | Mumbai Indians buys captain Harmanpreet Kaur; RCB acquires Smriti Mandhana
Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana has bagged a major contract in the Women’s Premier League after being bought by RCB for ₹3.4 crore. Mumbai Indians buys India captain Harmanpreet Kaur for ₹1.80 crore. India all-rounder Deepti Sharma was signed by UP Warriorz for ₹2.6 crore. Deepti, who had a base price of ₹50 lakh, was involved in a tight bidding between Delhi, Gujarat Giants and Mumbai. UP Warriorz made a surprise first bidding at ₹2.2 crore and eventually signed the all-rounder.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem feels a combination of hosting high-profile racing events like Formula 1 and extensive work at the grassroots is what India needs to revive motorsport in the country. Speaking to PTI on the sidelines of the inaugural Formula E race in Hyderabad, the first non-European president of the world governing body for car racing, spoke on a range of issues including his plans for a big market like India, women in motorsport, the pressing need to make the sport more affordable and why he has stepped back from the day to day running of FIA.
