All eyes are on Nandigram on Thursday where TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is locked in a fierce prestige battle with confidante-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP in the second of the eight-phase West Bengal assembly election.
Elections to the 126-member Assam assembly are being held in three-phases with 79.97% of the electorate exercising their franchise in 47 constituencies in the first phase on March 27. The third and final phase elections will be held on April 6 for 40 seats.
India on Wednesday reported 457 deaths in the last 24 hours — the highest since December 17 when 355 COVID-19 fatalities were reported in a single day. This is also the highest single-day spike in casualties this year.
According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry data, during April-February 2020-21, the eight sectors’ growth declined by 8.3% as compared to (+) 1.3% in same period of the previous fiscal.
The output of eight core sectors declined by 4.6% in February, the steepest contraction in the last six months, which, experts said, could drag the overall industrial production in the month into the negative territory.
The BJP wants to establish a “one-party authoritarian rule” in India, reducing the State governments to “mere municipalities”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a letter to the leaders of 14 Opposition parties.
The government has extended the deadline for intimating the Aadhaar number to the Income Tax Department for linking the UID number to tax payers’ PAN by another three months to June 30, 2021.
Thousands of farmers who have been protesting the three farm reform laws on the borders of Delhi will march to Parliament on foot in the first fortnight of May, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders said on Wednesday. They also plan to block the Western Peripheral Expressway surrounding Delhi for 24 hours on April 10 and 11 as a “wake up call” to the government.
Three more Rafale fighter jets on Wednesday took off from France for a non-stop flight to India, the Indian embassy in France said.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against a “blatant attempt” being made to take away the fundamental right of Muslim women to practice their religion, all in the guise of providing a “uniform law” across all faiths.
Military farms have been closed after 132 years of service, the Army said and the formal closing ceremony was held on Wednesday to mark the occasion.
U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon to announce a massive $2 trillion infrastructure plan, which will, over eight years, rebuild much of America’s infrastructure – from roads and bridges to high speed internet infrastructure and water pipes.


