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Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee was granted permission by a special court to be an approver in the school jobs scam, ED sources said. His son-in-law Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya was also named as an accused beneficiary in the case. Chatterjee was arrested by the ED in 2022 for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore primary teacher recruitment scam. His close associate Arpita Mukherjee was also arrested at that time. «Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya wanted to turn an approver in the case. He approached the special ED court in this regard, and it granted him permission,» a source said. Bhattacharya is likely to give a confidential statement before a magistrate, the source said. The officials of the Enforcement Directorate have interrogated Bhattacharya and in one of its supplementary charge sheets, his name was found to be an accused beneficiary.

eight-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction that the Reserve Bank of India conducted on Thursday got bids for less than one-tenth of the notified amount, with treasury executives citing the tenure of the operation as a likely reason for the weak demand. The RBI offered to infuse Rs 1 lakh crore in the banking system through the VRR auction that would reverse, or be repaid, on March 21, but it received bids for only Rs 9,860 crore. The central bank also conducts daily overnight VRR auctions. Treasury heads said the auction could have seen more demand if the maturity date were in April, in the new fiscal year. “There is no difference between borrowing overnight and borrowing for eight days. If I have the flexibility to borrow every day, I will borrow when the need arises and not for eight days,” Jana Small Finance Bank’s head of treasury Gopal Tripathi told ET. “Plus, this would mature within March; if the reversal date were crossing March, there would have been more demand.” The RBI has been conducting these auctions to inject liquidity in anticipation of outflows from the banking system due to advance quarterly tax and GST payments.

Russia said Friday it expected Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump would discuss a US-proposed ceasefire in Ukraine, but that US envoy Steve Witkoff needed to relay Putin's thoughts to the American president first. Witkoff met the Russian president late Thursday to lay out the details of the US plan, which Ukraine agreed to on Tuesday. «When Mr Witkoff brings all the information to President Trump, we will determine the timing of a conversation (between Trump and Putin),» Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. «There is an understanding on all sides that such a conversation is needed. There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic,» Peskov added. «There is still much to be done, but the president has nevertheless identified with President Trump's position.»

Ashokan Edict Sites and Chausath Yogini Temples spread across multiple states — have been added to India's tentative list by the UNESCO's World Heritage Centre. These sites were added to the list on March 7, the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said in a statement. India at UNESCO shared the statement on microblogging site X, late on Thursday. Addition to the World Heritage Centre's tentative list is mandatory if a property is to be nominated for inscription to the World Heritage List in future, it said. The six properties added to the tentative list include Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh; Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs in Telangana; serial nomination of Ashokan Edict Sites along the Mauryan Routes (multiple states); serial nomination of Chausath Yogini Temples (multiple states); serial nomination of Gupta Temples in north India (multiple states), and the palace-fortresses of the Bundelas in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the statement said. With these additions, India now has 62 sites on the tentative list.

Putin expressed gratitude to Donald Trump and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, among other world leaders, for their «noble mission» to resolve the conflict. Speaking at a joint press briefing in Moscow with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin said he is «grateful» to all the leaders for their efforts towards the goal. «As for Ukraine's readiness for a ceasefire, I will tell you how I view it, of course. But I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to,» Putin told reporters. «But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People's Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time. We are grateful to all of them for that because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission — the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life,» Putin said. It may be recalled that Modi had repeatedly called for peace over the last three years while resisting huge pressure from the Western powers to take sides in the war.

Blackstone is set to acquire a 40% equity stake in realtor Kolte-Patil Developers in a deal valued at over Rs 1,167 crore including the company’s preferential allotment of shares and stake sale by controlling shareholders. The board of directors of Kolte-Patil has approved a preferential allotment of shares to Blackstone entity BREP Asia III India Holding Co VII, raising approximately Rs 417 crore from the global investment firm. Under the preferential issue, Kolte-Patil will allot over 1.26 crore equity shares at Rs 329 per share to BREP Asia III, giving the investor a 14.3% stake in the company post-issuance, the Pune-based developer said in a regulatory filing.

Tata Communications announced on Friday the appointment of N Ganapathy Subramaniam as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective from March 14, 2025. The appointment comes following the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Subramaniam, a Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director, will step into the leadership role to steer the company's strategic direction, the company said in an exchange filing. Ganapathy retired as the Tata Consultancy Services' Chief Operating Officer in May, 2024.

Faced with the logistical and financial limits of mass deportations, the Trump administration has turned to a $200 million media campaign aimed at persuading undocumented immigrants to leave the US voluntarily. Branded “Stay Out and Leave Now,” the effort combines the ad blitz with a self-reporting departure app launched this week, and warnings from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that those who don’t leave will be caught and permanently barred from returning.

The Hundred draft. Big names like Imad Wasim, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah, who was the highest priced, all found no bidders. Among women Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed, and Jaweria Rauf did not find any takers. Meanwhile, Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad and New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell got the best deal. Ahmad joined Manchester Originals, while Bracewell was picked by Southern Brave. Former Australia cricketer David Warner was picked by London Spirit.

Delhi Capitals on Friday announced Axar Patel as their captain for IPL 2025. The all-rounder was the franchise's top retention for Rs 16.5 crore ahead of the mega auction. Patel has played for DC since 2019. He does not have a lot of experience in the leadership role, but was also named India's vice-captain in January. The 31-year-old has led Gujarat in 23 matches across formats, most recent being in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024-25. He captained DC in one IPL match last year. Itwas a must-win fixture that they lost to RCB to miss out on the playoffs, when Rishabh Pant was serving a ban for a slow over-rate. The team entered the mega aution in search for a captain after Pant exited the franchise ahead of the mega auction. They had KL Rahul as another option, when he was bough for Rs 14 crore. However, DC has chosen their most experienced player. Patel has played 82 games for them across six seasons. Last year he scored 235 runs at an average of nearly 30 and took 11 wickets with an economy rate of 7.65. He comes into this year's IPL after having played a key role in India Champions Trophy title. He took five wickets with an economy rate of 4.35 and made vital contributions batting at No. 5 in the tournament.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists for successfully de-docking the SpaDeX satellites in space, calling it a significant step toward India's ambition of building its own space station. «Bharat's giant stride in space. Congratulations to Team @isro on the successful accomplishment of the de-docking of the SPADEX satellites in space,» Shah wrote in a post on X. He emphasized that the achievement aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of advancing India's space capabilities, including future missions such as Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan. «It is a proud moment for us that will accelerate PM @narendramodi's vision to build our own space station, Chandrayaan 4 and Gaganyaan,» he added. On the capabilities of Indian scientists, Shah said that they have «proven yet again that even the sky is not our limit.»

Reality TV star Gabby Windey won ‘The Traitors,’ but she has yet to receive her prize money, media reports said. She spoke about the issue on ‘Watch What Happens Live,’ revealing that she is still waiting for payment. The competition ended nearly a year ago, but the winners have not received their earnings.

The dispute stems from Trump’s earlier steel and aluminum tariffs, prompting the EU to impose levies on $699 million worth of U.S. goods, including bourbon and agricultural products.

delimitation of parliamentary constituencies and said he would attend the Chennai meeting on the issue after taking permission from Congress high command. Reddy made these remarks after a DMK delegation led by Tamil Nadu minister TK Nehru met him in Delhi and invited him to the meeting. «I welcome Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin's stand. I have to get permission from the (Congress) high command to attend the meeting.

The recent surge in terrorist attacks in Jammu region has been attributed to the involvement of active foreign militants, with Union home minister Amit Shah recently directing security agencies to step up the fight against terrorism by aiming for «zero infiltration». On January 30, while attempting to infiltrate from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), two militants said to be associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in a gunfight with the Army along the Line of Control in Poonch district of J&K. The presence of foreign militants, despite the army and Border Security Force (BSF) claiming «zero infiltration», has been a cause of concern among the security agencies. These militants have been carrying out attacks on security forces in the Jammu region with logistical support from overground workers, said officials.

Telecom operators are resisting the Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) decision to migrate to an authorisation regime, asking for the current practice of entering into contractual agreements with licensed entities to be kept in place. They said the current approach is vital in maintaining regulatory certainty, protecting existing investments and ensuring sustained investment growth in the sector. The telecom operators, through a letter from the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to the telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal, cited examples of the ministries of coal and petroleum and natural gas which grants licenses to successful bidders in their respective fields that are contractual in nature.

Kuki-Zo organisations in Manipur are planning a referendum on the political future of the Kuki-Zo people, calling for the creation of a Union Territory. The exercise, titled Kuki-Zo People's Referendum Ballot, will allow voters to express their opinion via a simple question: «Do you, as a Kuki-Zo person in Manipur, support the creation of a Union Territory for Kuki-Zo villages, governed directly by the Government of India?» Voters can choose Yes or No, and their details will be recorded as per the Indian Electoral Roll. The move echoes the 1951 Naga National Council plebiscite, which claimed 99.9% support for Naga independence. Meanwhile, normal life in Kuki-Zo areas of Manipur remains disrupted for the fifth day due to an indefinite shutdown called by the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC). The protest is against the resumption of bus services between Imphal and the hill districts and the recent police actions.

The victim, Riyaz Ahmad Bajad, a resident of the tribal area of Chandian Pajan in Kulgam district of southern Kashmir, in his late 20s, went missing on February 13 along with two others, Mukhtar and Showkat from Kulgam, when they were on their way to attend a function. The family registered a complaint when it found they could not be reached as their phones were switched off. The families went from pillar to post to raise the issue but only after the matter was raised by legislators in the ongoing budget session of the assembly. Bajad's body was found in Veshow Nallah in Mah area of Kulgam. «This is what we feared the most, as the forces picked up our men earlier as well but released them after a few days. Now we want the other two people alive,» said a relative of Bajad, who did not wish to be identified. «It seems hot liquid was poured on his head. He didn't have a single strand of hair.» Police informed the family about the body and later handed it over to the family members after medico-legal formalities, said the relative. «The condition of the body was such that we couldn't even bathe it properly,» he said. Bajad is survived by a six-month old baby girl.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday mentioned that poor air quality in Byrnihat “may be attributed to industrial and other activities along the Assam side.” Recently, the World Air Quality Report 2024 released by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir has named Byrnihat as the world’s most polluted town. In a suo moto statement in the Assembly, Sangma said Byrnihat’s (Meghalaya) air quality has been found “satisfactory” by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB). He said, “out that as per data generated from the four manual ambient air quality monitoring stations of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) located at Byrnihat town, the annual average PM2.5 concentration for 2024 is 50.1 microgram per cubic meter (µg/m3). Further, as per MSPCB’s data from January to March (first week),2025, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Byrnihat was observed to be ‘Satisfactory.” He added, “The MSPCB conducted surprise inspections at industrial units in EPIP and 13th Mile on 24th, 27th, and 31st January 2025, and 5th February 2025.