Fake News Or Censorship? Bombay High Court's Split Judgment On IT Rules

In a split judgement on petitions challenging the amended Information Technology (IT) Rules on fake news, one judge of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday held that they amounted to censorship, while the other judge said the Rules do not have any chilling effect on free speech.

A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale delivered different judgements, necessitating the placing of the petitions before a third judge. Patel struck down the Rules in question, terming them as unconstitutional, while Gokhale dismissed the petitions.

The matter would be put before the Chief Justice of the HC to be assigned to a third judge, the division bench said.

"There is a disagreement between us. I have held for the petitions and Justice Gokhale has held for the government. So now the matter will be heard afresh by a third judge," Justice Patel said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed to extend for ten days an earlier assurance that until the judgment was delivered, the government would not notify the Fact Checking Unit (FCU) to be set up under the Rules to flag fake news about government on social media.

Under the Rules, if the FCU comes across or is informed about any posts pertaining to the business of the government that are fake, false, and contain misleading facts, then it would flag off the same to social media intermediaries.

The intermediary has the option of either taking down the post or putting a disclaimer on it. In the second option, the intermediary loses its safe harbour/ immunity and stands liable for legal action.

Patel held that no fundamental right says that every citizen has to receive only "true and accurate information as determined by the government".

Gokhale, on the other hand, held the right to share fake or untrue information was not part of the free speech right.

"Right of speech will not enjoy protection if the user knowingly and intentionally shares fake or misleading information, flagged albeit by a FCU...," she said.

Patel noted that the FCU would be "the sole authority to decide what piece of user-content relating to the undefined and unknowable business of the government is or is not fake." "How the FCU will go about its business is also unknown....Who, after all, is to fact-check the fact checker?...Quis custodiet ipsos custodes (Who will guard the guards)?"he asked.

"It is not the business of the government to keep citizens from falling into error. It is other way around...it is very much business and should be the duty of every citizen to prevent the government from falling into error," he said, adding that every attempt to whittle down a fundamental right must be resisted.

Justice Gokhale held that the Rules were not violative of any fundamental rights, nor did they suffer from arbitrariness.

The Rules, in fact, encourage discussion and dissemination of information on facts bereft of fakery, she said.

"No content is restrained by the impugned Rule, unless the content is patently false, untrue and is communicated with actual malice that is with knowledge of its falsehood and with reckless disregard for the truth and is deceptively passed off as a statement of truth," she said.

"The right to free expression is a crucial and indispensable component of a nation having adopted democracy. However, this right does not permit freedom to share information which a person knows to be false yet intentionally communicates as authentic," Gokhale said.

Justice Patel held that the State cannot coercively classify speech as true or false and compel non-publication of the latter, as this was nothing but "censorship".

He had the greatest difficulty in accepting the proposition that the government has an overriding authority to arrive at an absolutist determination of a content or expression as the truth, the judge said.

"There are no guidelines, no procedure for hearing, no opportunity to counter the case that some information is fake, false or misleading.... the Rules clearly make the Central Government a judge in its own cause.

Gokhale, however, noted that the Rules provide an opportunity to the intermediary to put a disclaimer on the content, and the FCU was merely tasked with identifying information concerning any business related to the government.

"The Rules does not in any manner, confer any authority on the FCU to direct the intermediary to take down any such information. It is left entirely to the discretion of the intermediary to make reasonable effort so that the user is encouraged not to continue to post, share etc. such information," she said.

She further said there was also a redressal mechanism for the intermediary as well as the user, and ultimately it is the court of law which would be the final arbiter. FCU cannot be presumed to be biased only because the power to notify is vested in the government, she added.

Members of the FCU would be those who are privy to the business or policies of the government, having access to authentic information to authoritatively determine any information as fake, and hence the FCU cannot be termed as biased, Justice Gokhale said.

Patel noted that one fully government-controlled entity, Press Information Bureau, is active and already has significant social media presence.

"The sinister and insidious facet to the impugned amendment is that this new agency (FCU) has far more than a loud bark: it has fangs and claws, for its unilateral view of what is or is not the 'truth' is accompanied by a requirement of removal of what is has so determined (to be fake, false or misleading)," he said.

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, the Editors Guild of India, and Association of Indian Magazines filed petitions in the HC against the Rules, terming them arbitrary and unconstitutional and claiming that they would have a chilling effect on the fundamental rights of citizens.

On April 6, 2023, the Union government promulgated amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, including a provision for a fact-checking unit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Hanuman Was A Big Diplomat": S Jaishankar Finds Familiar Ground In Ramayan

Foreign minister S Jaishankar today found a Ramayana reference to his job -- and an epic  diplomat. In an exclusive, wide-ranging  interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Jaishankar spoke of finding examples in the Indian context for things instead of borrowing from the west.

In this context, he said even his job was featured in the great epic Ramayan.

"Hanuman was big diplomat. An actual diplomat, since he was sent to Lanka as an envoy," he told NDTV.

"Hanuman also had an intelligence mission. He had to gain information on Sita. And he was also an activist diplomat, since on his way out, he caused them great loss," Mr Jaishankar said, referring to the burning of Lanka, the capital of the demon king Ravan, who had abducted SIta.

He also spoke of the diplomatic tactics and mind games that Hanuman had employed while in the audience hall of Ravan.

"He managed to sit on a higher seat than the king and his ministers, which put them at a psychological disadvantage," Mr Jaishankar said, pointing out that so much of it is relevant even today.

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"Bill On Civil Code Should Be Passed In Parliament": Team Eknath Shinde

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday demanded that a bill on the Uniform Civil Code be passed in the coming budget session of Parliament.

Speaking at a news conference in Delhi after an all-party meet on the eve of the session, Sena MP Rahul Shewale also demanded that Parliament pass a resolution congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Shewale, the Sena's leader in the Lok Sabha, said as the session would be the last session before the general elections, a bill on Uniform Civil Code should be passed.

"A resolution congratulating Prime minister Narendra Modi should be passed in Parliament for building a grand Ram temple, and all parties should back it," he added.

His party will support all the bills that the government will introduce, Shewale said.

The budget session will be a short session this time, between January 31 and February 9, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to table an interim budget ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The new government will present the full-fledged budget.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Top Court Orders Courts To Shun Practice Of Mentioning Litigants' Caste

The Supreme Court has ordered its Registry, all High Courts, and subordinate courts to stop the practice of mentioning the caste or religion of litigants in case papers.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, in its recent order, said that the practice should be shunned and stopped immediately.

It directed all High Courts to ensure that the caste or religion of a litigant does not appear in the memo of parties in any petition filed before High Courts or subordinate courts under their jurisdiction.

"We see no reason for mentioning the caste/religion of any litigant either before this Court or the courts below. Such a practice is to be shunned and must be ceased forthwith. It is therefore deemed appropriate to pass a general order directing that henceforth the caste or religion of parties shall not be mentioned in the memo of parties of a petition/proceeding filed before this Court, irrespective of whether any such details have been furnished before the courts below," the bench stated in it's order.

The order of the top court came while allowing a transfer petition in a marital dispute pending before a family court in Rajasthan.

The top court, while permitting the transfer of the case to a family court in Punjab, was surprised to find that the caste of both parties to the dispute (husband and wife) had been mentioned in the memo of the parties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi Records Maximum Temperature Of 18.6 Degrees Celsius On Sunday

The national capital recorded a maximum temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius, normal for the season's average.

The minimum temperature of 6.0 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season's average, was recorded in the morning.

According to the IMD, from January 31 to February 1, the weather conditions will be generally cloudy with light rain or drizzle. From January 28 to 30, the city may witness moderate fog.

The humidity level of 83 per cent was recorded at 5.30 pm.

The air quality index (AQI) remained at 384 in the "very poor" category at 6 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe". 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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No Disrespect: Tamil Nadu Governor Clarifies Speech Involving Gandhi

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Saturday said he didn't disrespect Mahatma Gandhi while speaking on India's Independence struggle and asserted that the Father of the Nation has been the guiding light of his life.

Some media reports in the last three-four days sought to create "an erroneous impression" that he has been "disrespectful" to Mahatma Gandhi but nothing could be farther from the truth, he said.

"I hold Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, in the highest regard and his teachings have been the ideals of my life," the Governor stated.

His clarification comes in the wake of the agitation by the TNCC members held here earlier in the day condemning the Governor for allegedly insulting the Mahatma and belittling his role in the freedom struggle.

TNCC chief K S Alagiri, Su Thirunavukkarasar, MP, and Congress Legislature Party leader K Selvaperunthagai, were among those who participated in the agitation.

"I did not mean any disrespect to Mahatma Gandhi whose teachings have been the guiding light of my life," a Raj Bhavan communique quoting Ravi said referring to his speech at the 127th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23, here.

Some media "did cherry-pick" from the speech and "gave it a twist," he said. "In my speech, I sought to elaborate the point that Netaji's significant contributions to our nation's Independence has not been adequately appreciated. I tried to make a point that what accelerated the pace and process of Independence in 1947 were the revolts of the Royal Indian Navy and Air Force in February 1946 – both inspired by Netaji," the Governor said.

Due to these revolts, the British panicked as they could no longer trust the Indians in uniform for their own safety and security in India. Following the February revolts, in March the British publicly declared that they would leave India and constituted the Constituent Assembly to demonstrate their sincerity, assuage the feelings of the agitated Indians and pre-empt potential revolts which could have had existential consequences for the British officers and their families in India.

The Naval and Air Force revolts were greatly inspired by the revolutionary actions of Netaji including the war of the Indian National Army against the British, he said.

The Quit India Movement of August 1942, after initial success had lost steam. Internecine conflicts in the National Freedom Movement due to the Muslim League's vehement insistence on the partition of India and its reactions on the ground kept much of the efforts and energy of the Congress leaders on how to manage the internal conflicts, much to the delight of the British.

"The British could have ruled India for some more years but for Netaji's armed revolution and its domino effect on the Indian Military and Security Forces. What I have said are facts based on primary documents," Ravi stated.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Viral Video Shows 3,000 Engineers Queuing Up For Walk-In Job Interview In Pune

In a viral video, over 3,000 engineers were seen queuing outside a Pune-based company for a recent walk-in drive targeting junior developer positions, typically sought by freshers. 

The event garnered immense interest, with more than 2,900 resumes submitted. Hinjawadi, known for attracting IT talent, witnessed long queues, each hopeful engineer holding their resume. 

The video, widely shared on social media, has sparked discussions about the evolving IT job market and challenges faced by young professionals.

Despite Pune's vibrant IT sector, the overwhelming response for around 100 positions raises concerns about skills training, automation impact, and the need for job market diversification in India. 

The incident highlights the intense competition affecting both recent graduates and experienced professionals.

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Following the viral spread of the video across various platforms, a lively discussion erupted in the comment section, attracting numerous social media users eager to share their perspectives.

"An IT company collecting CVs in an analog manner is the height of irony," commented a user.

A user pointed out, "If you think this queue is bad, try applying for a job at a Canadian grocery store; their lines are longer than this."

Adding a touch of humor to the conversation, a third user quipped, "Where's that uncle who said to complete your engineering, and after that, everything will be fine?"

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2024 Polls: 96 Crore Citizens, Including 47 Crore Women Eligible to Vote

Over 96 crore people, including 47 crore women, are eligible to cast votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, for which more than 12 lakh polling booths will be set up across India.

Over 1.73 crore of those eligible to vote are in the age group of 18 to 19 years, according to Election Commission data.

As many as 1.5 crore polling personnel will be deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the parliamentary elections to elect members of the 18th Lok Sabha.

According to a 2023 letter sent by the EC to political parties, India had 17.32 crore registered voters in 1951, which rose to 19.37 crore in 1957.

There were 91.20 crore voters in the 2019 polls.

Out of the total voters registered in the electoral rolls, nearly 18 lakh are persons with disabilities.

In the first Lok Sabha elections, the voter turnout was recorded at 45 per cent. It was 67 per cent in the last parliamentary polls.

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Padma Vibhushan For Venkaiah Naidu, Actor Chiranjeevi. See Full List

The government today announced the prestigious Padma Awards on the eve of the 75th Republic Day celebrations.

The Padma Vibhushan has been awarded to Vyjayantimala Bali, Konidela Chiranjeevi, M Venkaiah Naidu, Bindeshwar Pathak (posthumous), and Padma Subrahmanyam.

BJP leader Ram Naik, singer Usha Uthup and actor Vijaykanth (posthumous) are among the 17 who have been awarded the Padma Bhushan.

The first woman judge of the Supreme Court Chief Justice M Fathima Beevi (posthumous), actor Mithun Chakraborty, and Bombay Samachar owner Hormusji N Cama are also among the Padma Bhushan awardees.

Young Liu, the CEO of Taiwan's Foxconn, has also been honoured with Padma Bhushan.

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"Did Not Think Indian Openers Will Be...": England Star's Honest Take

Opener Ben Duckett believed that England's first innings total of 246 was above par and said they were not expecting Indian openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma to play belligerent cricket from the word go on the first day of the first Test on Thursday. At stumps, India were placed at 119 for one with Jaiswal making a quick, unbeaten 76 and he shared a fine 80-run stand with Rohit in just 12.2 overs. "I think we're over par. It was a tricky Day 1 pitch with consistent spin from earlier on. Stokes was fantastic. I just said come down Day 3, Day 4, that could be a match winning knock if that pitch keeps getting harder to bat on," said Duckett in the post-day press meet.

Duckett was quick to give credit to the Indian openers for producing a rollicking stand, and also considered it as a hint to the gradually deteriorating nature of the pitch.

"Credit to them. They played really well and were very attacking. You know, they don't always go about it like that. So, to go about it that way it shows that they probably think the pitch is going to get quite a bit worse," said Duckett.

The 29-year-old Kent batter defended the use of sweeps and reverse sweeps by his colleagues, saying it was not a sign of carelessness.

"We weren't reckless today. I thought we played well at times and people who normally strike at 150 were dug in and rotated pretty well." Duckett said England were just trying to stay positive on the day.

"We're trying to be positive and when you get a bit of pace on the ball, we're going to go even harder. But yeah, they bowled some very nice balls and I reckon I probably could have nicked off about 15 times.

"I missed them and then put the bat ball away, so yeah, really happy with how we started it," he added.

Tom Hartley had a tough initiation to international cricket as Jaiswal went after him. The left-arm spinner finished the day with the figures of 9-0-63-0.

However, Duckett had a word of consolation for him.

"We backed Tommy to turn to Stokes who decides for him how many overs to bowl. On some days captains might take you off after two overs and then you're hiding away for the rest of the game.

"But he nearly got Shubman Gill in the end and I am not quite sure how that's gonna miss the stumps. But I thought he came back really well," added Duckett. PTI UNG UNG AH AH

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Probe Agency Summons Sanjay Raut's Brother In Covid 'Khichdi Scam' Case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Sandeep Raut, the younger brother of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, for questioning in a money laundering case linked to the alleged 'khichdi scam' during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, official sources said Wednesday.

Sandeep Raut has been asked to depose before the central agency at its office in Mumbai next week, they said, adding his statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Suraj Chavan, a functionary of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, was arrested in this case by the ED last week.

Mr Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), is in ED custody till Thursday and is expected to be produced before a court here.

The money laundering case stems from an FIR of the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

According to police, alleged irregularities took place while giving contracts by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for providing 'khichdi' to migrants during the COVID-19.

The probe agency has said that for the supply of khichdi packets, an amount of Rs 8.64 crore was transferred by the BMC in the bank account of Force One Multi Services (which was given the work order for 'khichdi').

Force One Multi Services has generated the "proceeds of crime" of around Rs 3.64 crore, of which Rs 1.25 crore were diverted to the personal bank account of Chavan and Rs 10 lakh to the bank account of his partnership firm Fire Fighters Enterprises, the Enforcement Directorate had informed the court while seeking Chavan's remand.

Mr Chavan, in this manner, wrongfully acquired the "proceeds of crime" to the tune of Rs 1.35 crore, it alleged.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Anti Terror Agency Files Fresh Chargesheet Against 2 In Coimbatore Car Blast

The NIA on Wednesday filed a fresh charge sheet and named two more accused in the ISIS-inspired Coimbatore car bomb blast case of 2022, an agency spokesperson said.

Mohammed Azarudeen alias Azar and Mohammed Idris, both residents of Coimbatore, have been named in the supplementary charge sheet and have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Explosive Substances Act, the spokesperson said.

With this, a total of 13 people have been charge-sheeted in this case till now. The rest were named in the prosecution complaints filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in April and June last year.

The probe pertains to an explosion that took place in front of the ancient Arulmigu Kottai Sangameshwarar Thirukovil Temple at Eswaran Kovil Street in Ukkadam, Coimbatore on October 23, 2022, through a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), allegedly driven by one Jamesha Mubeen.

Mubeen was "inspired" by hardcore ISIS ideology to commit this act of terror.

The NIA probe found, the spokesperson said, that Mubeen, along with Mohammed Azarudeen, Umar Faaruq, Sheikh Hidayathullah and Sanofer Ali, conspired to carry out a series of suicidal terror attacks in Coimbatore city following a conspiracy hatched in the forested area of Sathyamangalam region in Erode district of Tamil Nadu.

The attack was intended to wreak vengeance on 'kafirs' (non-believers), as stated in one of the self-made confessional videos by the accused a few days before the attack, the spokesperson said.

Azarudeen, who acted as a pedagogue to the module involved in the attack, was earlier arrested by the NIA in another case related to the indoctrination of ISIS ideology and in connection with the NTJ (National Thowheeth Jama'ath) module of Sri Lanka, which was responsible for the 2019 Easter blast attacks in the island country.

"Azarudeen had motivated three other accused who met him in the high-security prison (HSP) Viyyur. This led to the subsequent Sathyamangalam Conspiracy meeting, resulting in the planning and preparation of the instant terror attack," the spokesperson added.

Accused Umar Faaruq was elected as the "Amir" to lead the execution.

Mohammed Idris, part of the module of Azarudeen and radicalised in the ISIS and by the 'bayans' (statements) of accused Zahran Hashim, was tasked with purchasing a used vehicle for the blast and to assisting the main accused in the attack, he said.

"The larger aim of the conspiracy was to create terror in the minds of a section of the society by targeting its various branches like general administration, police, judiciary," the spokesperson said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Cummins Breaks Silence On Maxwell's Hospitalisation After Late-Night Party

They "didn't cross paths" but Australia captain Pat Cummins was at the same venue from where his World Cup-winning teammate Glenn Maxwell was rushed to hospital after a reported late-night drinking session and the star pacer responded to the incident by saying "any decision you make you've got to own it". Both Cummins and Maxwell were attending a concert by 'Six and Out', the band which features former pacer Brett Lee, in Adelaide. Cummins said he left the venue much before his teammate allegedly lost consciousness and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

"Potentially, I think only 'Maxy' can answer that one," Cummins was quoted as saying by 'The Sydney Morning Herald' when asked whether Maxwell needed to reconsider his choices.

"I was there at the Gov for the concert, but I left pretty early – I knew he was in town but I didn't cross paths with Maxy at all," he said.

The World Cup-winning captain added, "We're all adults and part of being an adult is you make your own decisions.

"In terms of this incident he wasn't on tour with Australia, he was over there for a private event, so he wasn't with the cricket team. So it is a little bit different, but absolutely, any decision you make you've got to own it and be comfortable with it."

Cricket Australia (CA) is already investigating the mishap. Maxwell was out drinking and watching a concert by 'Six and Out', the band featuring former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, when he felt unwell.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke also expressed his shock and said the thought of an ambulance made him "nervous".

"To have to be put into an ambulance, that makes me nervous. With these sort of things, with off-field stuff. I like to go, 'Benefit of the doubt and innocent until proven guilty'," Clarke said on 'Foxsports'.

"One thing I know, Cricket Australia will get to the bottom of it. These days there's cameras, there's people, so the truth will be told. The other thing we need to do is making sure he's OK. He didn't end up spending the night there (in hospital).

"I can't think of a time where I've had to call an ambulance or an ambulance had to be called for me, no matter how drunk I was. So I'm worried is there more to this and I just hope he's OK first and foremost."

Maxwell, who last week stepped down as captain of BBL side Melbourne Stars after failing to make the finals, was not named in the 13-man squad to face the West Indies in a three-match ODI series from February 2 and 6.

"It is not related to him being replaced in the ODI squad, a decision that was made following the BBL and based on his individual management plan. Maxwell is expected to return for the T20 series. No further comment will be made at this time," CA had said in a statement.

Last year, Maxwell faced a series of injuries but despite that, he performed admirably in the World Cup.

During the ODI World Cup in India, Maxwell suffered concussion when he fell off a golf cart in Ahmedabad.

In 2022, he broke his leg when he slipped while running at a friend's birthday party and remained out of action for more than three months.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Security Tightened In Imphal As Manipur Ministers To Meet This Key Group

Security has been tightened in and around Manipur capital Imphal after Arambai Tenggol asked all ministers and MLAs from the valley districts for a meeting at Kangla Fort on Wednesday.

Arambai Tenggol, an organisation of around 50,000 people engaged in guarding villages in the valley areas of the state, has asked all ministers and MLAs from the valley districts to come for discussions, the details of which have not been specified, an official said, adding "there are intel reports that they (Arambai Tenggol) are planning to enter Kangla fort with arms before the meeting."

According to the officials, a large number of security forces including CRPF, Assam Rifles, Army and state police have been deployed near the fort as a precautionary measure.

Kangla Fort served as the royal seat of Manipur kingdom till 1891.

Earlier too, Arambai Tenggol had asked all legislators to attend a meeting at Kangla Fort, the official said.

The development comes a day after a three-member Union home ministry team met the leaders of the group at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba on Monday, the official added.

The group has demanded delisting of Kukis from the ST list, deportation of refugees to camps in Mizoram, border fencing, replacement of Assam Rifles with other paramilitary force and revoking Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement between Centre and Kuki militant groups, officials said.

The central team included former Intelligence Bureau special director AK Mishra, SIB New Delhi joint director Mandeep Singh and SIB Imphal joint director Rajesh Kamble.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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'Ashwin Must Be Proud': Internet Reacts To Non-Striker Run-Out At U19 WC

A runout at non-striker's end stole the show in the New Zealand vs Afghanistan low-scoring thriller at Buffalo Park in East London on Tuesday. It was a Group D match of the ongoing U19 World Cup in South Africa. Afghanistan spinner Naseer Khan Maroofkhil ran out New Zealand's Ewald Schreuder as the latter was short of his crease at the non-striker's end. Before Naseer, a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, could release the delivery out of his hand, Schreuder was out of his crease. Naseer was quick to clip off the bails in time by stopping mid-way during his bowling. Batter Schreuder was visibly unhappy with the dismissal.

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"Ashwin anna must be proud of this kid," read a comment in the video. "This rule against sprit of cricket," read another another comment.

"Nice, early life lesson for them to stay inside the crease," wrote a fan. "Hate this rule," was also among comments.

The wicket came at a crucial juncture in the game as New Zealand went nine down, needing two more runs to win.

The fear of losing the game for New Zeland though did not last long as Naseer Khan hit the winning runs off the very next ball.

New Zealand eventully edged past Afghanistan by one wicket in the game.

Matt Towe registered a five-wicket haul (5 for 21) as the Kiwis bundled out Afghanistan for 91 after getting an invitation to bowl first. Ewald Schreuder (2 for 15) and Ryan Tsourgas (2 for 33) also impressed in bowling.

In reply, New Zealand too got off to a poor start. They lost a total of nine wickets before chasing down the total.

Allah Ghazanfar picked three wickets while Khalil Ahmed and Arab Gul Momand picked two each but all went in vain as the Kiwis ended on the winning side.

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Rajasthan Minister's One-Meal Vow Until Grand Krishna Temple Is Built

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar on Monday said he will eat only one meal a day till a grand temple is constructed in the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

"Unless a magnificent temple on the birthplace of Lord Sri Krishna is constructed, I will eat only once a day, beginning today," Mr Dilawar said at a felicitation event in Ramganj Mandi, his constituency in Kota.

In his address, Mr Dilawar recalled how he along with Dr Kirorilal Meena, now a state cabinet minister, and hundreds of kar sevaks staged a demonstration in Ayodhya in 1992 against the illegal detention and fabricated charges of murder against their colleagues.

Mr Dilawar, a six-time MLA and three-time minister, had in February 1990 also vowed he would not accept or wear garland till the Ram Temple is constructed in Ayodhya.

On Monday, after the consecration ceremony was over at Ram Temple in Ayodhya, he was offered a 34 kg garland, and another, 108 feet in length, by his supporters.

Mr Dilawar however refused to wear the garlands saying he would wear it when he visits the temple in Ayodhya on January 31.

In February 1990, Mr Dilwar had also vowed he would not sleep in bed until Article 370 pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped. It is said he slept on a mat ever since, till the contentious Article was revoked in 2019, when he finally took to bed. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Indian-Origin NZ U-19 WC Player Copies Gill's Celebration Style

Shubman Gill has got an admirer in India-origin Snehith Reddy, a member of the New Zealand U-19 World Cup team, who copied the Indian opener's batting and celebration style. Snehith took off his helmet, raised his bat and bowed down to the crowd, similar to the trademark celebration of Gill, after reaching his century against Nepal in an U-19 World Cup match at Buffalo Park on Sunday. "We were talking before the game, the boys, on what the celebrations are gonna be. I decided the Shubman Gill bow is my celebration, it was special," Snehith said later.

"One of my favourite players, I love the way he makes contact with the ball, his timing is exceptional and I tried to copy that to my batting a little bit," he said in a video footage uploaded by the ICC.

A moment shared with family
? Enjoying the occasion
Shubman Gill's influence

New Zealand's Snehith Reddy reflects on his #U19WorldCup centurypic.twitter.com/szYB81B0yi

— ICC (@ICC) January 22, 2024

His parents were also present at the ground when Snehith achieved the feat.

"That was extremely special. I think, them (parents) coming over and seeing the first game on the world stage was extremely special. They enjoyed it and I loved it.

"They just told me to enjoy, it's a massive occasion and there'll be nerves but I had fun and that's the key," he said.

The 17-year-old Snehith, who was born in Vijayawada, smashed an unbeaten 147 off 125 balls to help New Zealand reach 302 for 8 in 50 overs after electing to bat.

New Zealand then restricted Nepal to 238 for 9 for a 64-run win.

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Gujarat Man Paints His Jaguar Saffron To Mark Ayodhya Ram Temple Event

The preparations for the grand 'Pran Prathistha' (consecration) ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram Temple on January 22 are in full swing. Amid this, a man from Gujarat, Siddharth Doshi wrapped his Jaguar car with the theme of the ceremony. 

Mr Doshi painted his luxury car in a radiant shade of saffron. The car has images of Lord Rama and the Ramayana on its sides. It also features a picture of the temple structure on the car's bonnet. Further, Sanskrit sholkas are also seen on the car. The vehicle also displays Ram Darbar and Lord Hanuman.

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A post shared by Siddharth Doshi (@iam_siddharth_doshi)

Mr Doshi embarked on a pilgrimage from Surat to Ayodhya. He shared several pictures and videos from his journey. In one of the posts, Mitesh Patel, Member of Parliament from Anand, Gujarat is seen posing next to him. In another post, he is pictured with Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Prasad Maurya and BJP MP Manoj Tiwari.

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A post shared by Siddharth Doshi (@iam_siddharth_doshi)

However, this is not the first time that Mr Doshi has made changes to his car. Last year, he modified his Jaguar car with India's G20 Presidency-themed films to spread awareness about it. He stated at that time that hosting the G20 group by India was a proud moment for all the countrymen.

The businessman, who is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drove his car from Surat in Gujarat to the national capital Delhi to spread awareness about the importance of G20.

"It is a proud moment for us and India that India is hosting the G20 this year, my simple message through my car is that people know the importance of the country," he told ANI.

Earlier, he had decorated his same car around the theme of 'Amrit Mahotsav of Independence', the 75th year of independence.

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"Things Were Done And Dusted...": Ex India Star's Huge Virat 'Fab 4' Take

The upcoming Test series between India and England will see two members of the 'Fab-4' of Test cricket square off against each other. India's Virat Kohli and England's Joe Root have been two of the most consistent batters in the format over the past decade. Australia's Steve Smith and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson are the other two members of the 'Fab-4' of Test cricket. After overcoming a lean patch with the bat, former India opener Aakash Chopra suggested that Kohli is back among his peers.

"Yours truly also said that he is no longer part of the Fab 4. He is now, by the way. It was about the runs at that time, in that period of two years, but he is back again. Steve Smith has fallen away. Kane Williamson is also going 50-50 but this guy is still there. He was there then also and has returned now," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Despite scoring runs, Kohli failed to score a century in over three years between 2019 and 2022.

Chopra added that Kohli has reignited his career, especially in Test cricket, after a three-year lean patch had raised doubts over his future.

"The way he has made a comeback has made his story even more beautiful. It seemed like things were done and dusted and you came and played a World Cup, and became the Player of the Tournament. You reinvented the wheel once again and reignited that passion," he added.

Kohli has been in sensational form of late. He was the top-scorer in the World Cup last year as India reached the final, only to go down against Australia.

In 11 matches, Kohli amassed 765 runs at an average of 95.62. He also broke Sachin Tendulkar's record of most ODI centuries with his knock in the semi-final against New Zealand.

He has also scored 8,848 runs in 113 Test matches for India at an average of 49.15, while scoring 30 fifties, 29 hundreds and seven double hundreds.

India's squad for first two Tests vs England

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan

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'First In History': Army Couple To March Down Kartavya Path In R-Day Parade

Major Jerry Blaize and Captain Supreetha C T are all set to become the first couple to march down the Kartavya Path as members of two different contingents in the Republic Day parade on January 26.

"This is a first in the history of the Republic Day parades," Major Blaize told PTI.

The couple, who got married in June 2023, said it was a sheer coincidence that they were getting to march together on the occasion.

"This did not happen in a planned way. It is a coincidence. Initially, I gave my selection test and got through. Then my husband also got selected from his regiment," Captain Supreetha said.

They were part of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) during college.

"My wife took part in the NCC Republic Day parade in 2016 at the Kartavya Path, New Delhi and I got the opportunity to be part of the NCC Republic Day camp in 2014 New Delhi. This was also one of the motivating factors for me to lead my regiment in the Republic Day 2024 at Kartavya path and make my regiment proud," Major Blaize said.

Capt Supreetha is from Mysore, Karnataka, and is a Law graduate from JSS Law College in the city. Major Blaize is from Wellington, Tamil Nadu, and did his graduation from Jain University, Bengaluru.

They currently live in Delhi. They are from different regiments and take part in practice sessions separately.

"My husband is from the Madras regiment and I am part of the Corps of Military Police contingent," Captain Supreetha said.

"We are posted at different places and this is one such opportunity that both of us are getting to spend time together for these two months in New Delhi. It is a very proud moment for both of us that we are here with our respective contingents," she added.

They said their families are delighted and they will be coming to attend the parade.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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