Morning Digest | VP Dhankar says court cannot dilute Parliament’s sovereignty; India invites Israeli PM Netanyahu, and more

Office of Registrar-General of India follows ‘obsolete’ criteria for scheduling of tribes

The Office of the Registrar-General of India (RGI) is following the set of criteria set out by the Lokur Committee nearly 60 years ago to define any new community as a Scheduled Tribe,  The Hindu has learnt. The Office of the RGI’s nod is mandatory for the inclusion of any community in ST lists, as per the procedure for scheduling tribes.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar says court can’t dilute Parliament’s sovereignty

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar on January 11 said that Parliamentary sovereignty cannot be permitted to be diluted or compromised by the Executive or the Judiciary and public posturing or “one-upmanship” that is being frequently witnessed in this matter is not “wholesome”.

Governors are being denigrated to functioning as BJP workers, says Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of denigrating the office of Governors by using them as karyakartas (workers) in non-BJP ruled States, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said it amounted to an assault on democracy.

Silvassa: Minor boy beheaded in human sacrifice ritual; three including juvenile held

A nine-year-old boy was kidnapped and decapitated as part of a “human sacrifice” ritual in Dadra and Nagar Haveli district of the Union Territory and his body was chopped into pieces, police said on Wednesday.

Delhi Court rejects bail plea of man accused of urinating on woman in AI flight

Delhi’s Patiala House court on Wednesday denied bail to Shankar Mishra, who has been accused of urinating on an elderly woman while in an inebriated state on a New York-New Delhi Air India flight in November 2022.

FCI scam | CBI searches 50 locations across three States, arrests official

A covert operation that was over six months old, by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday led to searches at more than 50 locations across Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, following the registration of a case against 74 persons, including 34 serving and three retired Food Corporation of India (FCI) officials and 20 rice mills. 

SC to hear Google’s challenge to CCI’s Android order January 16

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear Google’s plea challenging the ₹1,337-crore penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices.

India invites Israeli PM Netanyahu to India ‘at an early date’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday had a telephone conversation with the newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and invited him to visit India “at an early date”.

Focus on ‘substance, not the symbolism’ of outcomes at the G-20 summit, says Chief Coordinator Shringla

With the Ukraine conflict entering a second year, India will focus on the “substance, not the symbolism” of outcomes at the G-20 summit, Chief Coordinator Harsh Shringla said. In a possible indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin might skip the summit scheduled for September, officials separately said that they hope Mr. Putin will visit India for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is tentatively being scheduled for June this year. Mr. Putin had missed attending the G-20 summits in Italy in 2021 and in Indonesia in 2022.

U.K., Japan sign defence pact allowing reciprocal troop deployment

The U.K and Japan, on Wednesday, signed a defence pact, which will permit the deployment of troops in each other’s countries and increase security cooperation . The move comes as Britain is undertaking a ‘tilt’ towards the Indo-Pacific in its foreign and security policy.

Explosion near Foreign Ministry in Kabul kills five

An explosion near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital on Wednesday killed five people and wounded several others, a Taliban police spokesman said, the second prominent attack in Kabul so far in 2023.

Ministers in Delhi government have power over their departments, Centre tells SC

The Centre on Wednesday began its counter in the Supreme Court with the submission that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government is trying to create a “perception” that the Lieutenant Governor has hogged all power and bureaucrats owe allegiance to the Centre and not the elected Aam Aadmi Party regime in the national capital.

Bharat Jodo Yatra successful because India about brotherhood and unity: Rahul in Punjab

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the BJP of spreading hatred in the country, even as he asserted that India stood for “brotherhood and unity” and that is why his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was “successful”. 

Peru President under investigation after dozens killed in protests

Peru’s prosecutor’s office on Tuesday said it was opening an inquiry against President Dina Boluarte and others for their role in the repression of anti-government protests that have seen at least 40 killed since December.

Uganda declares end to deadly Ebola outbreak

Uganda on Wednesday declared an end to an Ebola virus outbreak that emerged almost four months ago and claimed the lives of 55 people.

South India’s second Vande Bharat Express to run between Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad soon

The much-awaited Vande Bharat Express (VBE) will finally run between Visakhapatnam and Secunderabad via Vijayawada after it is officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Secunderabad Railway Station.

Tax collections cross ₹12 lakh crore, 87% of target met

India’s net direct tax collections stood at ₹12.31 lakh crore as on Tuesday, accounting for almost 87% of the target for 2022-23 and reflecting a 19.55% growth over the year-earlier period, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday, asserting that tax revenues continued to register ‘steady growth’.

Bopanna, Ramkumar make early exit in Adelaide

Rohan Bopanna, seeded fifth with Matthew Ebden of Australia, lost 7-6(4), 7-5 to Nicolas Mahut and Tim Puetz in the doubles pre-quarterfinals of the $713,495 ATP tennis tournament in Adelaide on Wednesday.

Rishabh Pant to miss IPL after car crash: Sourav Ganguly

India’s Rishabh Pant will miss the cash-rich Indian Premier League because of his injuries in a road accident last month, former national cricket board chief Sourav Ganguly has confirmed.