Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

NEW DELHI: Women MPs from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to take strict action against opposition MPs for allegedly committing “heinous acts” inside the House during last week’s proceedings.In their letter, the MPs praised the Speaker for maintaining order and decorum during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address on February 4, but accused opposition of creating chaos.“We wish to express our profound gratitude and admiration for the exemplary manner in which you upheld and protected the dignity, decorum, and sanctity of the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Honourable President’s Address on February 4, 2026. On that day, the entire House, and indeed the entire nation, witnessed one of the most unfortunate and regrettable incidents inside the Lok Sabha chamber,” the letter stated.Detailing the alleged misconduct, the BJP MPs claimed that opposition MPs disrupted proceedings in an unprecedented manner.“We saw members of the opposition party not only entering the well of the House but also climbing onto the Speaker’s table, tearing up papers, and throwing them towards the Speaker. Furthermore, sadly, some Honourable women members, behaving aggressively and carrying banners and placards, crossed over to the other side. They not only surrounded the Prime Minister’s seat but also entered the Treasury benches where senior ministers sit,” the letter said.“Therefore, we urge you to take the strictest possible action, under the rules, against those opposition MPs who have committed such heinous acts within the House premises and brought disrepute to our democratic institution,” it added.The BJP MPs’ letter comes a day after women MPs from the Congress wrote to Birla accusing him of acting under pressure from the ruling party to justify Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from the House.The controversy stems from Birla’s statement in the Lok Sabha last week that he had received “concrete information” suggesting that several Congress members might approach the Prime Minister’s seat and carry out an “unexpected act.” The Speaker said he had, therefore, requested the Prime Minister not to attend the House to deliver his reply to the Motion of Thanks.In their letter, Congress women MPs strongly objected to the Speaker’s remarks and accused him of making baseless allegations.“Clearly pressured by the ruling party to defend the non-appearance of the Prime Minister, the Speaker issued a statement making grave allegations against the women MPs of the party,” the Congress MPs said.“We are being targeted simply because we have consistently fought against Prime Minister Narender Modi’s anti-people government and demanded accountability from him. His absence from the House was not due to any threat from us, it was an act of fear,” the letter added.The Congress MPs further rejected any suggestion that they had planned to disrupt proceedings.“He (PM) did not have the courage to face the Opposition. We are Members of Parliament from the Indian National Congress, a party that stands for love, peace, constitutional values, and human dignity. We do not believe in violence and intimidation. We are brave women elected representatives who will not be silenced by intimidation,” the letter, signed by MPs including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyothimani, R Sudha, Varsha Gaikwad and Jyotsna Mahant, stated.“We believe that transparency is the only way to restore the dignity of the Speaker’s office and the credibility of this House,” it said.The Congress MPs also alleged bias in disciplinary action, pointing out that eight INDIA bloc MPs were suspended at the “behest of the ruling party,” while a BJP MP was allowed to speak in a “vulgar and obscene manner” about former prime ministers.

NEW DELHI: Long before smartphones, search engines and AI entered classrooms, PM Modi said one habit shaped his thinking as a student – reading the newspaper and discussing ideas. Recalling his school days, Modi told students that a teacher once gave him a daily task rooted in curiosity and discipline. “My teacher used to tell us daily, ‘Go to the library. In The Times of India, there is a sentence on the edit page – write that in your notebook and come,’ and the next day we used to discuss it,” he said, underlining the role of reading and reflection in learning. The PM was speaking during the second episode of the ninth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026, where he interacted with students from Coimbatore, Raipur, Guwahati and Devmogra in Gujarat. Using personal anecdotes and simple examples, Modi urged students to build habits that strengthen thinking, rather than becoming dependent on shortcuts. Warning against overuse of technology, he said mobile phones have become “masters” for some children. “Some kids cannot even eat food unless they are watching a smartphone or television,” he observed. He said every era has faced fears over new technologies, but technology must not become the master of human life. On AI, Modi advised balance over blind dependence, saying AI should be used for guidance and value addition, not as a substitute for learning. He noted that nature of jobs will keep changing, just as transport once moved from carts to airplanes. The PM also shared practical tips for exams, stressing preparation and rest. He said a good night’s sleep keeps students cheerful and encouraged practising previous years’ papers and focusing on writing. He cautioned parents against encouraging comparisons at home, saying constant comparison creates pressure rather than motivation. On leadership, Modi said it begins with courage and initiative. Expressing happiness that students carry the dream of Viksit Bharat 2047, Modi said small habits build a developed nation. Launched in 2018, Pariksha Pe Charcha has grown into a major student engagement programme. The ninth edition, held this year, recorded participation from across the country, reflecting sustained student enthusiasm nationwide overall.

NEW DELHI: The government on Monday said that India’s oil sourcing strategy will be guided by national interest and it will not depend on any single country for its needs, while highlighting that actual purchases are done by petroleum companies, with decisions dependent on market conditions, availability, pricing and risk assessment. The comments by foreign secretary Vikram Misri came three days after US President Donald Trump’s executive order lifting the 25% penal tariff on India said the country had committed to stop purchasing Russian oil, either directly or indirectly. Amid the suspense over India’s position on already-declining Russian oil imports, Misri said oil companies, public or private, will continue to make business choices driven by the considerations he outlined – a complex matrix of issues, including the important financial and logistical aspects.

His response followed repeated remarks by commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal that only the foreign ministry could comment on whether India gave any such commitment to the US while arriving at the framework for an interim trade agreement, and accusations by opposition that govt was evading the question.Indian cos assess oil availability, risks and costs, says MisriMisri said, “What I can firmly and confidently say is that whether it is govt or indeed our business, at the end of the day, national interests will be the guiding factor for us in our choices.” He was replying to a question on the issue at a media briefing on the visit of Seychelles President Patrick Herminie.In Dec, India’s crude imports from Russia fell to a 10-month low of $2.7 billion, down 15% from Dec 2024, while Saudi Arabia (60% rise to $1.8 billion) and the US (31% increase to $569 million) were the big gainers. Russia, however, remained the largest source, accounting for 31% of imports during April-Dec 2025, as against a little under 37.5% a year ago, commerce department data showed. During this period, the US’s share has jumped from 4.5% to 7.8%.“They (oil companies) assess availability at any given point in time, and they assess risks, costs in this process. And obviously, all of these companies also have their own internal accountability-related processes to look at and certain fiduciary responsibilities in the market,” said Misri. He added that govt’s foremost priority is to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers and ensure they receive adequate energy at the right price and through reliable and secure supplies.Misri also said India seeks to maintain multiple sources of supply and diversify them as appropriate to ensure stability. “I would say that the more diversified we are in this area, the more secure we are,” said Misri. India and many other countries share a common interest in ensuring stable prices and secure supplies at a time when global uncertainties are impacting the stability of energy markets, he said.He noted India was not just one of the largest consumers of energy but also helped stabilise global energy markets. “That’s one reason we import energy from multiple sources… the key drivers of our energy policy are adequate availability, fair pricing and reliability of supply. We import crude oil from dozens of nations. We are neither dependent on any single source for this, nor do we intend to be.”

NEW DELHI: Complying with the Supreme Court’s directive, Enforcement Directorate has set up a special investigation team to probe money laundering cases allegedly involving Rs 40,000 crore against Anil Ambani and companies of Reliance Group. The move comes amid ED stepping up its probe against the industrialist. The agency was set to question his wife, Tina Ambani, on Monday at its HQ here but she did not appear and may be summoned again. The purpose of the planned questioning is to establish the money trail in a case related to purchase of an apartment worth Rs 70 crore in Manhattan, New York, for which senior Reliance executive and Ambani confidant Punit Garg was arrested last week.

On SC directive, CBI and ED may file multiple cases against Anil

Tina Ambani did not appear and may be summoned again.Tina Ambani’s name came up during the custodial interrogation of Garg. With Supreme Court on Feb 4 asking for registration of separate cases in each case of the alleged diversion of bank loans by Anil Ambani’s companies, both CBI and ED are looking to file multiple cases against him. CBI, in particular, will be required to file many more since the allegations of fund diversion concern more than a score of loans he took from different financial institutions.The Manhattan apartment, sources suspect, had been purchased using alleged proceeds of crime siphoned off from the bank loans that Reliance Communication had received from an SBI-led consortium. ED has come across a network of shell entities involved in money laundering, including the one that received the sale proceeds ($8.3 million) of the Manhattan apartment “remitted from the US under the guise of a sham investment arrangement with a Dubai-based entity controlled by a Pakistan-linked individual”.So far, during its probe against Anil Ambani and his entities, ED has searched 46 premises and attached 204 properties valued at over Rs 12,000 crore. ED has registered three enforcement case investigation reports, equivalent to police FIRs, under PMLA against Ambani and his entities so far.One is against Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd (RCFL) and Reliance Home Finance Ltd (RHFL) in the Yes Bank money laundering case. The agency has told SC that RHFL had borrowed public funds from 33 banks/financial institutions and committed a default of over Rs 5,400 crore which constitutes proceeds of crime. The 33 lenders were able to recover only Rs 2,116.9 crore. “As regards the default committed by RCFL, 21 banks/financial institutions faced defaults of Rs 6,281 crore. Out of Rs 8,226 crore, only a sum of Rs 1,945 crore has been paid,” ED told the court. In second ECIR against Reliance Communications Ltd, ED has said total outstanding amount was Rs 40,185 crore that constitutes proceeds of crime. Third case is against Reliance Power Ltd in which allegedly forged bank guarantees were submitted. Three accused were helld in the case.“Having gone through ED’s counter affidavit, it appears to us that the aforesaid agency ought to look into every possible financial transaction which might have led to siphoning of funds and must determine the estimated value of the proceeds of crime. ED is well advised to constitute an SIT,” SC had said in its Feb 4 order. SC posted the matter for hearing on March 10.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday termed the siphoning of over Rs 54,000 crore through digital arrests as nothing short of “robbery or dacoity” and directed the Centre to formulate a standard operating procedure (SoP) to tackle such offences.A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and NV Anjaria, noted that the money lost to digital fraud exceeds the annual budgets of several small states.“These offences may occur due to either collusion or negligence on the part of bank officials. This necessitates prompt action by the RBI and banks,” the bench observed, according to PTI.The top court pointed out that the Reserve Bank of India has already framed an SoP requiring banks to temporarily block debit cards to prevent cyber-enabled fraud. It directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to examine the RBI’s SoP, along with similar protocols or decisions taken by the Department of Telecom (DoT), and prepare a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) within four weeks to effectively address such crimes.The bench also instructed the CBI to identify cases involving digital arrests and directed the Gujarat and Delhi governments to grant sanction to the agency to proceed with investigations in these matters.Further, the Supreme Court asked the RBI, DoT, and other stakeholders to hold a joint meeting and develop a framework for compensating victims of digital arrest scams. Emphasising the need for a “pragmatic and liberal approach” in awarding compensation, the court posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks and asked authorities to submit fresh status reports before the next date.Earlier, on December 16 last year, the bench had asked the Centre to consider suggestions made by the amicus curiae on ensuring compensation for victims, while expressing concern over the massive sums siphoned out of the country by cybercriminals. On December 1, it had directed the CBI to conduct a unified pan-India probe into digital arrest cases and questioned the RBI on why artificial intelligence was not being used to trace and freeze bank accounts linked to such crimes.Digital arrest is an emerging form of cybercrime in which fraudsters impersonate law-enforcement officials, court authorities, or government personnel to intimidate victims through audio or video calls, hold them virtually hostage, and coerce them into transferring money.

NEW DELHI: In a shift aimed at making medical treatment more relevant to Indian patients, the Indian Council of Medical Research has called for large, multi-centre clinical trials to generate India-specific evidence for treating lifestyle and chronic diseases, instead of relying largely on data from Western countries.The move targets conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other non-communicable diseases that affect millions across the country. Health experts say therapies proven effective in Western populations do not always produce the same results in Indian patients because of differences in genetics, diet, climate, disease patterns and access to care.The need for such an approach is already evident in ongoing research. Dr Ambuj Rao, cardiologist at AIIMS Delhi, said India-specific clinical research is essential, pointing to a pan-India influenza vaccine trial in heart attack patients currently underway at AIIMS. He noted that evidence for such interventions cannot come from Western countries because India has a distinct flu season and different public health challenges.Under the initiative, networks of at least five hospitals will jointly evaluate treatments, medical procedures, digital tools and lifestyle interventions in real-world Indian settings. The aim is to identify therapies that are not only clinically effective but also affordable and workable within government hospitals and public health programmes. Officials said the findings will directly inform national treatment guidelines, with each selected study eligible for funding of up to Rs 8 crore over four years.Dr Ravinder Goswami from the endocrinology department at AIIMS Delhi said India’s tropical climate, repeated cycles of stress and poverty, and distinct dietary patterns have led to unique metabolic and hormonal adaptations in Indians, including insulin resistance, higher cortisol levels, central obesity and lower muscle mass. He said rapid lifestyle changes and the growing consumption of refined foods have worsened the burden of diabetes, hypertension, polycystic disorders and other metabolic diseases, which require culturally acceptable and India-specific treatment strategies. The ICMR’s call for well-planned studies, he added, offers a crucial opportunity to generate evidence for conditions unique to India, including certain metabolic disorders and cancers such as oral cancer.Beyond improving treatment protocols, the programme is also expected to strengthen India’s research capacity. Participating hospitals will be required to conduct trials independently, maintain standardised digital records and share data transparently, reducing dependence on pharmaceutical-driven global research.Public health experts say the initiative could have a direct impact on patients, as even small changes in treatment protocols, backed by Indian evidence, can improve outcomes and reduce out-of-pocket spending for families living with chronic disease. If successful, the effort could ensure that what doctors prescribe in India is guided by data generated from Indian patients, not assumptions imported from elsewhere.

NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday launched a broadside against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a video posted by the BJP showing Sarma taking a “point-blank shot” at two individuals identified as minorities.During a rally at Telangana’s Zaheerabad, Owaisi accused the Assam chief minister of spreading hate against the Muslim community and added that the AIMIM would soon lodge a police complaint over the video.“If you think that communalism has ended, remember, no matter who comes to power, the poison of communalism persists. And the remedy, the antidote for the poison of communalism, is that you make the representatives of the Majlis successful. You see that in the country, the chief minister of Assam makes a video where he has a gun in his hand. And he fires a bullet. The bullet hits a person wearing a beard and a cap,” Owaisi said.“Tell me, he is the chief minister of Assam from the BJP. He posts a video from the BJP’s social media. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen strongly condemns that video. And Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, God willing, will also file a complaint with the police against it, so that a case can be registered against the chief minister of Assam. They are working to spread religious hatred against Muslims,” he added.Also read | ‘I want to give you Rs 2 in alms’: Owaisi hits out at Himanta Sarma over ‘trouble Miya Muslims’ remarkThis comes after the BJP Assam unit posted a video on X showing Sarma purportedly aiming a rifle at two people, one wearing a skull cap and another with a beard. The video was deleted after receiving backlash.Earlier, Owaisi had slammed Sarma over his controversial remarks on “troubling Miya Muslims”, calling them unconstitutional and divisive.Owaisi mocked the chief minister, saying, “I want to give you Rs 2 as alms,” and accused him of reducing constitutional governance to prejudice and intimidation. In a lengthy response, Owaisi said India’s Constitution guarantees equality and non-discrimination, regardless of religion or community.“The Constitution says all are equal. No discrimination should be done, whether it is a chief minister or anyone else,” he said.Owaisi alleged that Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam were being scapegoated for issues ranging from migration to rising prices.“If vegetable prices increase in Assam, Miya Muslims are blamed. If someone wants to vote, they are told to go to Bangladesh,” he said, adding that such rhetoric amounted to targeting a community for political gain.The AIMIM leader’s remarks came after Sarma made statements encouraging action against “Miya Muslims” in Assam.Sarma said, “Trouble the Miya Muslims by any means. If they face trouble, they will go from Assam… We are directly against the Miya Muslims. We are not hiding anything.”The comments triggered a political storm in the election-bound northeastern state, with opposition parties accusing the BJP of resorting to communal polarisation to consolidate votes.The BJP, however, has long maintained that its focus in Assam is on addressing illegal immigration and protecting indigenous rights. Bengali-speaking Muslims have frequently been labelled “illegal infiltrators” in political discourse, an issue that has remained central to Assam’s electoral politics.

Janshakti Janta Dal chief Tej Pratap Yadav

NEW DELHI: Former Bihar minister and Lalu Prasad Yadav‘s estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav on Sunday refuted social media posts which claimed that he has been “blessed with a daughter”, Anushka Yadav.During a press conference, Tej Pratap dubbed RJD MP Sanjay Yadav, MLC Sunil Singh, former MLAs Shakti Singh Yadav and Mukesh Raushan, and Rameez — a close friend of Tejashwi Yadav — as “Jaichands” (a metaphor for traitors, referring to a 10th-century Rajput chieftain who had colluded with Afghan invader Muhammad Ghori) and accused them of hatching a conspiracy against him.Notably, Sanjay Yadav is a sitting RJD MP and Sunil Singh is an MLC, while Shakti Singh Yadav and Mukesh Raushan are former MLAs, and Rameez is a close friend of Tejashwi Yadav, the younger sibling of Tej Pratap, who was recently elevated to the post of the party’s national working president.Also read | ‘Reject this’: Tej Pratap Yadav rubbishes child rumours, says no link with woman named in past Facebook post“I am distraught at rumours on social media that a woman with whom I had been falsely linked several months ago, which resulted in my expulsion from the party, has given birth to my child,” Tej Pratap said.“There has been some suspense about who the Jaichands I have been speaking about are. Here are the names — Mukesh Raushan, Sanjay Yadav, Shakti Singh Yadav, Rameez and Sunil Singh,” he added.He also vowed to take legal action against the “Jaichands”, including a Rajya Sabha MP and a member of the legislative council.“I reject this (blessed with a child) claim. This is a conspiracy hatched by Mukesh Raushan and all these ‘jaichands’ in collusion to defame me. It should be investigated who Akash Bhati is, who has a relationship with that girl. This should be investigated, not what kind of relationship she has with him. What kind of relationship does that girl have with him?” Tej Pratap said.“Akash Bhati will tell you. Mukesh Raushan, Shakti Singh and Sunil Singh are all ‘jaichands’; this is all their game, to conspire against us. Now, let them explain what the relationship is between Anushka Yadav and Akash Bhati; they will tell you. I am completely depressed. We will submit our application, we will go to court,” he added.Last year, Tej Pratap was ousted from the party and his family after he shared a photo with a woman on Facebook and claimed he had been in a relationship with her for 12 years.However, Tej Pratap later claimed that his Facebook account had been “hacked” and said the post was part of an attempt to “defame and harass” him and his family.Tej Pratap later founded his own party — Janshakti Janata Dal — which drew a blank in the Bihar assembly elections.

Malaysia joined India on Sunday in strongly condemning cross-border terrorism, signalling a greater understanding of India’s position on the issue, with PM Modi saying after a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim that message from both sides on terror was clear: no double standards, no compromise. Modi’s visit to Malaysia saw close to a dozen agreements being signed and announcements for cooperation in areas spanning defence and security, semiconductors, social security for Indian workers, UN peacekeeping, disaster management and the fight against corruption. While similar joint statements issued after summit meetings in 2015, 2017 and 2024 had condemned terror in all forms, the latest one specifically mentioned cross-border terror, an expression that helps India flag Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The statement also reaffirmed commitment to boost bilateral and multilateral cooperation in countering terror, including in UN and FATF, radicalisation and violent extremism.India, Malaysia will chart a path of economic transformation: PM ModiIn the field of security, we will strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and maritime security. We will also further expand defence cooperation, said PM Modi, thanking his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim for his strong condemnation of Pahalgam terror attack and the Red Fort blast.The PM underlined the significance of growing friendship between both the countries in the current climate of global uncertainty, saying the leaders backed all peace efforts and agreed that reform of global institutions was essential to address today’s challenges.While there was no official word from either side on whether the extradition sought by India of fugitive Zakir Naik was discussed at the meeting, official sources said India remains in touch with Malaysia to address legal issues related to the request.Modi and Ibrahim also participated in a CEO Forum that, he said, opened new avenues for trade and investment. “Alongside AI and digital technologies, we will advance our partnership in semiconductors, health and food security. Guided by strategic trust, we will chart a pathway towards economic transformation,” the PM said. According to the joint statement, the two expressed satisfaction over the robust defence relationship between Malaysia and India, underscored by “regular exchanges, visits, staff talks, exercises, training courses and defence industry collaboration”. While there was no mention of it in the statement, India is considering sale of Dornier aircraft to Malaysia and also supply of naval platforms by Indian shipyards. “The PMs encouraged growing maritime cooperation between India and Malaysia, including through regular goodwill and operational deployments,” said the joint statement.