Morning Digest: January 24, 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with supporters during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu on Monday, January 23, 2023.
| Photo Credit: NISSAR AHMAD

Will take up Pandits’ issues, Rahul says in J&K

Mr. Gandhi interacted with a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits and patiently heard the issues raised by the community, including fresh migration in the wake of targeted killings by militants in the past two years in the Valley, and the J&K administration’s move to stall migrant Pandit employees’ salaries.

Norovirus infection confirmed in two schoolchildren in Kerala

Norovirus infection has been confirmed in two schoolchildren in Ernakulam even as the Health authorities have stepped up efforts to contain the disease spread. The infection has been confirmed in two children of Class I and II at Bhavan’s Adarsha Vidyalaya, Kakkanad. Nearly 62 children and a few parents had earlier exhibited symptoms of the infection. Three students are under medical treatment. Their condition is said to be stable. The virus was detected in the stool samples of the two children that were sent to the State Public Health Laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram.

RSS working towards Netaji’s goal, says Mohan Bhagwat

Several rallies and events were organised in Kolkata on Monday to pay tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary and the most crucial one was a gathering addressed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.

Left jobless, thousands of Indian IT workers scramble for options to stay in the U.S.

Thousands of Indian IT professionals in the U.S. who lost their jobs due to the series of recent lay-offs at companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon are now struggling to find new employment within the stipulated period under their work visas to stay in the country.

Congress has no patriotism left, says BJP after Digvijay’s comment on surgical strikes

The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of not having any “patriotism left now” after Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s statement that the Central government had not given any proof of the surgical strikes conducted by India across the Line of Control nor placed any report on them in Parliament.

Judges don’t face public scrutiny, don’t stand for elections: Kiren Rijiju

Amid the ongoing controversy between the Executive and the Judiciary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on January 23, 2023 said that the judges do not have to contest elections or public face scrutiny after they become judges. Though the public cannot change the judges, Mr. Rijiju asserted that judges are under being watched by the public for their judgments, delivery of justice and their conduct.

Karnataka hijab ban | SC to consider listing Muslim students’ plea before three-judge Bench

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Monday said he will consider forming a three-judge Bench soon to hear afresh petitions filed by Muslim students from Karnataka who are seeking a declaration of their right to wear hijab inside their classrooms. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora made the oral mentioning for early hearing of the case. She said the students were about to have their practicals on February 6.

RBI extends time for renewal of pacts for existing lockers

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to extend the deadline for banks to complete the process of renewal of agreements for the existing safe deposit lockers in a phased manner by December 31, 2023, with intermediate milestones of 50% by June 30, 2023, and 75% by September 30, 2023. The earlier deadline was January 1, 2023.

Pakistan suffers major power outage after grid failure

Pakistan faced a major power breakdown on January 23 due to a “frequency variation” in the national grid, leaving millions of people in large parts of the country, including capital Islamabad and financial hub Karachi, without electricity. According to the Ministry of Energy, the system of frequency of the national grid went down at 7.34 a.m. local time, resulting in the breakdown. “System maintenance work is progressing rapidly,” it tweeted. Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir said the restoration work was going on.

Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya in ICC T20 Team of 2022

Former India captain Virat Kohli, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and shortest format’s number one batter Suryakumar Yadav were on Monday picked in ICC ‘Men’s T20I team of 2022’. The ICC also announced the Women’s Team of 2022 with four Indians in the lineup – Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Renuka Singh.

Ind vs NZ, 3rd ODI | Middle order in focus as India eye series sweep against New Zealand

With a series sweep in sight, the middle order will be eager to give a better account of themselves as the Indian team management contemplates rotating its bowlers in the third and final ODI against New Zealand in Indore on Tuesday. Opener Shubman Gill has been in excellent form, having scored a sensational double hundred in the opener, followed by a 40-run knock in the low-scoring second ODI. Skipper Rohit Sharma, too, is having a good run. However, the home team is aware that despite enjoying an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, Shubman and Rohit have been the only two batters among runs for the hosts.