Air India urinating incident | Delhi court sends accused Shankar Mishra to 14-day judicial custody
The Delhi court on January 7 sent Shankar Mishra, accused of urinating on co-passenger mid-air, to 14-day judicial remand. The court denied police his custody. Delhi Police has arrested from Bengaluru the man who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger on an Air India flight, officials said. Meanwhile, the airline’s CEO has said that four cabin crew and a pilot have been issued show cause notices.
Caste-based head count begins in Bihar; Tejashwi terms it ‘historic step’
Terming the caste-based head count that began in Bihar on January 7 as a ‘historic’ step, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said the exercise will provide scientific data for carrying out welfare schemes for weaker sections of the society. Noting that all the parties of the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ were in favour of the exercise, the RJD leader claimed that the BJP was “critical” about the survey. The exercise will be conducted in two phases across Bihar, an official said.
Uttrakhand CM Pushkar Dhami visits Joshimath to assess situation
Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the sinking Joshimath on January 7 to assess the situation on the ground. He met the affected people and assured them of all help, officials said. The CM also met the team of officials and experts who have been camping in the town since Thursday and took their feedback on the evacuation exercise, they said. After visiting the affected areas in the Himalayan town, Mr. Dhami said that suitable places for relocation of residents near Pipalkoti and Gauchar are also being identified.
Cannot put clock back: Supreme Court refuses to stop operations of Noida Metro
Noting that the entire metro rail project is complete and running, the Supreme Court has refused to stop the Noida Metro’s operations for the want of an environmental clearance. The court was hearing an appeal filed against a May 31, 2016 order of the National Green Tribunal, directing that all metro rail projects need an environmental clearance after conducting a proper environment impact assessment. Keeping the question of law open, a Bench of Justices M.R. Shah and C.T. Ravikumar said the metro services in Delhi and Noida are being used by the public at large. “In that view of the matter, when the entire metro rail project is complete and the metro rail is running, the clock cannot be put back and the same shall not be even in the larger public interest. Under the circumstances, we propose to dispose of the present appeals, keeping the questions of law open,” it said.
CJI Chandrachud to be conferred with ‘Award for Global Leadership’ by Harvard Law School Center
Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has been selected for the “Award for Global Leadership” by the Harvard Law School Center in recognition of his lifetime service to the legal profession in the country and around the world. The award will be presented to him at an online event on January 11. Chandrachud obtained an LLM degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences from the Harvard Law School in the United States.
Government rebuts claims that statutory regulations were violated during GM mustard appraisal
The Union Environment Ministry on January 7 rebutted the claims made by activists that statutory regulations were violated during the appraisal and approval of GM mustard in India, saying the product was conditionally cleared only after stakeholder consultation. The Coalition of GM-free India, a group of NGOs opposing genetically modified crops, had on Friday released a report alleging that no (independent) health expert ever participated in GM mustard appraisal.
Bharat Jodo Yatra is not to project Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate for 2024 polls, says Jairam Ramesh
“This Bharat Jodo Yatra is not to project Rahul Gandhi as a prime ministerial candidate. It is an ideological yatra of which the main face is Rahul Gandhi. It is not one individual’s yatra,” Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications, said in response to a question in Karnal. He asserted that the ‘Kanyakumari to Kashmir’ foot march, which is currently passing through Karnal in Haryana, is not an election yatra.
Government to focus on micro-credit facility for street vendors in 2023: Vaishnaw
The government will enhance its focus on providing micro-credit facility in the range of ₹3,000-5,000 to street vendors in 2023, with the help of digital technologies, Union IT and Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on January 7. While speaking at Digital India Awards, Mr. Vaishnaw said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has allocated around ₹52,000 crore for taking 4G and 5G services across all nooks and corners of the country for digitally connecting every citizen. “In 2023 there will be a big focus on providing credit facilities to street vendors in a simplified manner to meet small credit requirements of ₹3,000-5,000,” Mr. Vaishnaw said.
Global food prices in 2022 hit record high amid drought, war
Global prices for food commodities such as grain and vegetable oils were the highest on record last year even after falling for nine months in a row, the U. N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said, as Russia’s war in Ukraine, drought and other factors drove up inflation and worsened hunger worldwide. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly traded food commodities, dipped by 1.9% in December from a month earlier, the FAO said.
House will address ‘rise of the Chinese Communist party,’ McCarthy in inaugural speech as Speaker
Newly-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy on January 7, 2023 said he will look into the issue of public debt and pledged that the House will address the “rise of the Chinese Communist party.” Mr. McCarthy, 57, was elected the House Speaker in a historic post-midnight 15th ballot on January 7. Mr. McCarthy defeated 52-year-old Hakeem Sekou Jeffries by 216 to 212 votes, in the 15th round of votes that went past midnight.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that India’s response to cash-strapped Sri Lanka’s request for debt restructuring is expected by the end of this month. Sri Lanka, which is trying to secure a $2.9 billion bridge loan from the International Monetary Fund, has been trying to to get financial assurances from its major creditors — China, Japan and India — which is the requisite for Colombo to get the bailout package.
Iran executes two more men detained amid nationwide protests
Iran said it executed two men on January 7 convicted of allegedly killing a paramilitary volunteer during a demonstration, the latest executions aimed at halting the nationwide protests now challenging the country’s theocracy. Iran’s judiciary identified those executed as Mohammad Karami and Mohammad Hosseini, making it four men known to have been executed since the demonstrations began in September over the death of Mahsa Amini. All have faced internationally criticised, rapid, closed-door trials.
Jack Ma, Ant Group founder, to give up control of fintech giant in revamp
Ant Group’s founder Jack Ma will give up control of the Chinese fintech giant in an overhaul that seeks to draw a line under a regulatory crackdown that was triggered soon after its mammoth stock market debut was scuppered two years ago. A former English teacher, Mr. Ma previously possessed more than 50% of voting rights at Ant but the changes will mean that his share falls to 6.2%, according to Reuters calculations.
Chetan Sharma retained as chairman of selectors
Chetan Sharma was on January 7 reappointed as the chairman of the senior selection committee, exactly two months after his entire panel was disbanded by the BCCI for the Indian team’s semifinal exit in the T20 World Cup. Chetan’s new team, though, would have entirely new faces with junior chairman of selectors S Sharath of South Zone being promoted. The others in the panel are former seamer Subroto Banerjee from East Zone, Salil Ankola from West Zone and Test opener Shiv Sunder Das from the Central zone.
Sania Mirza to retire after Dubai Tennis Championships in February
Sania Mirza, India’s former doubles world number one, said she will call time on her career aged 36 after next month’s Dubai Tennis Championships, after her 2022 retirement plans were delayed due to injury. Mirza has won six Grand Slam doubles titles and will compete in her final major this month at the Australian Open, where she bagged the women’s doubles crown in 2016.