LIVE news updates: India elected to United Nations' statistical body

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday continued till further orders an interim stay on show-cause notice and penalty demand issued to industrialist Anil Ambani by the Income Tax department under the Black Money Act.

A division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale posted Ambani's petition challenging the notice and penalty demand for hearing on April 28, and gave time to the IT department to file its reply.

The HC had in September 2022 granted an interim stay to the show-cause notice pending hearing.

BSP supremo Mayawati on Wednesday said people from Dalit, OBC and Muslim communities should beware of the Samajwadi Party for it does the politics of caste and "anargal" issues instead of development and public interest.

Her statement came two days after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that 'Bahujan Samaj' is uniting with his party in a big way to safeguard its rights, the democracy and the Constitution drafted by B R Ambedkar.

Mentioning the SP-BSP alliance formed by party founder Kanshiram, Mayawati alleged that even after becoming the chief minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav's intentions were not pure and instead were that of defaming BSP and continuing Dalit oppression.

Terming the Maharashtra government's order extending benefits of its healthcare scheme to 865 villages in Karnataka, amid the ongoing border dispute between two states, as an act that threatens the federal system, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday warned of retaliatory measure if it was not withdrawn.

Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah said, Maharashtra's move cannot be tolerated. "The consequences will not be right if it is not withdrawn immediately."

A Kerala high-court-appointed expert committee tasked with deciding the fate of the rice-eating tusker 'Arikkomban' on Wednesday suggested in the court that the elephant be translocated to the Parambikulam tiger reserve in Palakkad district of the state.

The suggestion was made in a report filed in the high court by the committee after it visited, on Monday, several areas of Idukki district that have been affected by the activities of the tusker and heard the grievances of the locals.

For the first time, students of state-run schools in Mizoram started wearing a common uniform with the new academic session beginning on Wednesday, a senior official of the school education department said.

Specifications for the common uniform had been notified separately for primary, middle, high school and higher secondary schools, director of the school education department, Lalsangliana said.

YSR Congress chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has urged the party cadres to work towards strengthening the party ahead of the state assembly elections and Lok Sabha polls, due in one year.

He made these remarks at his camp office while addressing party regional coordinators and MLAs, calling on them to strengthen their respective units by working in unison and removing flaws to enable the ruling party candidates to win the polls with good majority.

A 33-year-old Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer, who was leading a patrol along the India-China LAC in Ladakh, was killed after falling into a deep gorge, officials said.

Assistant Commandant Tikam Singh Negi was killed in the line of duty in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on April 2.

A parliamentary delegation from South Sudan, led by the Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly, Jemma Nunu Kumba, on Wednesday called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Welcoming the delegation to India, the President said India and South Sudan enjoy cordial and friendly relations. She said India is proud to be a major troop contributor to the UN Peace keeping Missions in South Sudan, read a release from Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The AIADMK on Wednesday exhorted its cadres to enroll 2 crore members, two days after the DMK senior leader and Tamil Nadu Waterworks Minister S. Duraimurugan commenced drive for enrolling 1 crore new members.

The two Dravidian majors are in for a new membership drive keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and to rejuvenate cadres at the grassroots level.

AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) inaugurated a camp for new membership drive at the party headquarters.

The Madhya Pradesh government will set up 730 PM SHRI Schools in the state to impart quality education to students from Classes 1 to 12 under the central government's scheme, an official said on Wednesday.

The state cabinet on Tuesday gave nod for setting up these schools in the state, including two each in 313 blocks and 104 in 52 district urban bodies.

The cost of the PM SHRI schools will be borne by the central and state governments in 60:40 ratio.

The Congress on Wednesday staged a walkout in the Assam Assembly, expressing dissatisfaction over the government's reply on implementation of the Assam Accord.

Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia had put forth the question about the progress of implementation of the Accord, which was signed in August 1985 after an anti-foreigner movement.

Saikia wanted to know the year for determination of illegal immigrants in the state, pointing that the Accord specified the deadline as March 25, 1971, while the Citizenship (Amendment) Act sets it for December 31, 2014.

The unveiling of 125-foot statue of Dr B. R. Ambedkar in Hyderabad on his birth anniversary on April 14 will be a grand affair.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will unveil the tallest bronze statue of Ambedkar near Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city in the presence of thousands of people who will be mobilized from across the state.

The state government has invited Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar as the chief guest for the unveiling ceremony.

Flowers will be showered from a special helicopter on the statue during the unveiling to pay tribute to the architect of the Indian Constitution.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien on Wednesday hit out at the Centre over the stalemate in the Parliament and called it "serious destruction of Parliament".

Taking to Twitter, O'Brien said, "Serious, very serious destruction of Parliament happening. MPs from the ruling party shouting slogans, not allowing Parliament to run for a full Session."

Today also, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned minutes after resuming the session after a day's break amid opposition MPs raising slogans demanding a JPC probe on Adani stocks issue