No tree felling in Mumbai's Aarey without our nod: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the tree authority of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation not to allow any further tree felling in Mumbai's Aarey colony without its permission.

   

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Aravind Kumar said the authority could process the applications and then seek orders from the court.

The order came after the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) informed the bench there was no pending proposal to cut of more trees in the area.

The top court posted the hearing on March 5.

The apex court had directed the Maharashtra government to inform if there was any proposal to fell more trees in Aarey forest.

The court in 2023 permitted some forest-dwelling communities to move the Bombay High Court with their grievances over felling of trees in the forest for the metro rail project.

On April 17, 2023, the apex court came down heavily on Mumbai Metro for trying to "overreach" its order permitting the felling of only 84 trees in the forest for a car shed project and directed it to pay Rs 10 lakh as penalty.

The court said it was improper on the part of the MMRCL to move the tree authority for felling of any trees in excess of 84. -- PTI

A case has been registered against a deceased person for allegedly cheating investors of Rs 82.5 lakh in Maharashtra's Thane city, police said on Friday.

Investors lodged a complaint with the city police's economic offences wing (EOW), and the accused died on December 4, 2024, while the investigation was on, an official said.

He said the Naupada police on Wednesday registered a case against the accused for the fraud that took place between August 2019 and December 2024.

The accused allegedly duped nine investors of Rs 82.5 lakh during this period, the official said.

The first information report (FIR) stated that the alleged accused lured the victims to invest in various schemes by promising them lucrative returns.

He collected money from them and never returned the sum or paid any return on the investments, it stated. -- PTI 

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice on a plea by the Sambhal's Jama Masjid management committee, and ordered status quo with regard to a private well located near the entrance of the mosque.

 

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar directed that no steps be taken regarding the well without its permission and instructed the authorities to file a status report within two weeks. 

The plea filed by the Committee of Management of Shahi Jama Masjid challenged a November 19, 2024 order by the Sambhal Senior Division Civil Judge that allowed the appointment of an advocate commissioner to survey the mosque.

It was argued that the survey led to violence and loss of life, prompting the urgent intervention of the top court. 

Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the Committee of Management, emphasised the historical significance of the well, stating, "We have been drawing water from the well since time immemorial."  

Ahmadi raised concerns over a notice referring to the site as "Hari Mandir" and plans for starting religious activities there. 

"No such activities will be permitted. Please file a status report," the CJI said.

The bench said the status quo must be maintained concerning the well, and no notices related to it would be given effect. 

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, said the well is outside the mosque's purview and has historically been used for worship.

Ahmadi said the well is partly within and partly outside the mosque premises, citing a Google Maps image to support the claim.

"Pass an appropriate direction to the District Magistrate, Sambhal to ensure that status quo is maintained with respect to the private well situated near the stairs/entrance of the Mosque and not to take any steps/actions with regard to the same without due permission from this Hon'ble Court," the plea said. -- PTI

Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal in a poll promise on Friday said the RWAs will be provided financial assistance to hire private security guards after his party returns to power in Delhi.

   

Making the announcement in a press conference, Kejriwal said the guidelines for the amount for the financial assistance and number of guards to be hired will be laid down later.

Slamming the BJP on the occasion, he charged that the party did not care for the wellbeing of the residents of Delhi because of which they were not in power for 27 years.

He asserted that the AAP cared for the people of Delhi and that's why they announced financial assistance for the Resident Welfare Associations to help people ensure better security in their neighbourhood by hiring private security guards.

The elections for the 70-member Delhi assembly are scheduled on February 5. Results will be announced after the counting of votes on February 8. -- PTI 

 

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recorded his first podcast which is likely to be released on Friday.

 

 In the trailer released by Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, who hosts the podcast, Modi recalls that in a speech as Gujarat chief minister, he said that mistakes happen and he too can make some. 

"I am also a human not god," the prime minister said in the trailer. 

The prime minister also advocates for good people to enter politics, stressing that they should come with a mission, not ambition.

Sharing the trailer on X, Modi said, "I hope you all enjoy this as much as we enjoyed creating it for you!" -- PTI 

Ishita Ayan Dutt/Business Standard

Consumer firm Emami on Thursday announced its rebranding of Fair and Handsome' to 'Smart and Handsome'. This comes almost two decades since its launch in 2005.

The new brand will expand its product portfolio from face cream and face wash to become a complete male grooming brand with an addressable market size of Rs 17,850 crore (Rs 175 billion). The addressable market size for Fair and Handsome is Rs 759 crore (Rs 7,59 billion).

Mohan Goenka, vice-chairman and whole-time director of Emami, explained that the rebranding was done after extensive research. "We saw that there is a bigger opportunity in the male grooming space than just sticking to the brightening space."

He also said that the size of the brand is expected to grow to Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) in three to four years from Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion). A new range of products across the male grooming segment is expected in the next 3 to 4 months. The new face of the brand is Kartik Aaryan.

The rebranding comes at a time when the male grooming portfolio of the company has seen a decline. According to the company's investor presentation after the September quarter results, Emami's male grooming range performance was down 13 per cent in Q2FY25 and 9 per cent in H1FY25.

On the rebranding exercise, Goenka pointed out that the brand name had changed about two years back in the international market. However, Fair and Handsome continued in the domestic market even as most FMCG companies redefined the 'fairness' expression to make it more inclusive.

Emami said at that point of time, research had shown that across the landscape -- rural and urban -- in the male consciousness, fairness was not a regressive term.

"Every company has gone through the exercise of name change but we continued with Fair and Handsome all this while. But consumer behavior is changing, the vocabulary is changing," Goenka said, adding that it was a "big, bold move".

Nagpur's Maharajbagh Zoo has temporarily stopped feeding chicken to wild animals at the facility after three tigers and a leopard died at a wildlife rescue centre in the city, an official has said.

Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik said on Thursday that the big cats died of avian influenza, possibly contracted after consuming chicken. However, the exact cause of death will be known only after the lab test report is received, said the minister.

The authorities at the Nagpur zoos have been directed to inspect the food before feeding the animals, the official said, adding that the wildlife rescue centre that lost three tigers and a leopard has been asked to temporarily remain shut.

Bird flu or avian influenza is a type of influenza that primarily affects wild birds and poultry.

Maharajbagh Zoo Chief Health Officer Sunil Baviskar said wild animals at the facility are fed food as per their natural eating habits.

Chicken is not fed to tigers in the Nagpur zoo. But leopards and other animals, which sometimes eat birds naturally, are given poultry meals, he said.

Baviskar maintained that none of the animals in the Maharajbagh Zoo is infected with the bird flu or showing symptoms of the infection.

"But, as a precautionary measure, the supply of chicken for animals has been stopped in the zoo," he said.

Besides routine sanitisation, disinfection is also carried out at the zoo every two days, he said.

The three tigers and the leopard had been relocated to the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur from Chandrapur following incidents of man-animal conflict. -- PTI

The United States Supreme Court on Thursday denied President-elect Donald Trump's bid to halt criminal proceedings in his New York hush money case, allowing a sentencing hearing scheduled for Friday to proceed.

 

In a 5-4 decision, with four conservative justices dissenting, the conservative-majority court reversed its stance after granting Trump two significant victories last year. Trump will return back to the White House on January 20.

 

 The brief unsigned order said the issues Trump wants to raise "can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal." The burden sentencing imposes on Trump is "relatively insubstantial," the court added, because he is not going to receive any prison time, NBC reported.

 

Following the Supreme Court's decision, Trump criticised the ruling and the judicial process involved. 

He denounced the case as politically motivated and expressed confidence that justice will prevail.

 

Trump in a post on social media platform Truth Social said, "I appreciate the time and effort of the United States Supreme Court in trying to remedy the great injustice done to me by the highly conflicted "Acting Justice," who should not have been allowed to try this case. Every legal scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge's made up, fake charges. This was nothing other than weaponization of our justice system against a political opponent."

 

"It's called lawfare, and nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America, and it should never be allowed to happen again. To this day, this highly political and corrupt Judge has put a gag order on me, which takes away my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case. For the sake and sanctity of the Presidency, I will be appealing this case, and am confident that justice will prevail," he added.

 

Trump had requested the Supreme Court to pause his sentencing in the hush money case, scheduled for Janaury 10.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that security forces and forest officials have destroyed poppy plantation on 90 acres of land in Ukhrul district.

The operation was carried out in Phalee hill range in Lungchong Maiphei police station area on Thursday.

"In another successful mission under the War on Drugs campaign, combined forces of Ukhrul district police, 6 MR, 18 AR and Forest Department destroyed 90 acres of poppy plantation and burned down 12 huts in the Phalee hill range under Lungchong Maiphei (LM) Police Station in Ukhrul district," the CM said in a post on X.

"An FIR has been registered for further investigation. I applaud the combined forces for the swift and coordinated measures," Singh added. -- PTI 

After two consecutive quarters of headcount growth, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Thursday reported a fall of over 5,000 in total employees for the third quarter of the current financial year (Q3FY25). The company, however, said that FY26 hiring will be better than FY25's.

TCS, India's largest IT services firm, saw its headcount decline by 5,370 for Q3FY25. This has happened as the firm saw its attrition go up to 13 per cent from the preceding quarters 12.3 per cent.

Milind Lakkad, chief HR officer, did not comment directly on the decline in headcount. He said: "Across Q1 and Q2 (FY25) we have hired 11,000 people and we are on track to add 40,000 campus hires this year. The headcount fall is the impact of several things, such as productivity, utilisation, and cost efficiency."

On attrition, he said that the 13 per cent is within the comfort zone of the company and it will also come down.

"Our campus hiring for the year is going according to plan and preparations are afoot to on-board a higher number of campus hires next year," said Lakkad. However, he did not confirm the total number of campus offers TCS would make for FY26.

During Q3FY25, Lakkad further added, TCS promoted over 25,000 associates, bringing the total promotions for the current financial year to more than 110,000.

Asked how the company would deal if the new government in the US made changes to H-1B visa regulations, Lakkad said TCS was not dependent on visas.

"Our dependence on visa is very low. We are not expecting any major disruption to our business," said K Krithivasan, CEO & MD, TCS.

Days after a string of bomb hoaxes triggered panic at many of schools in Delhi, the police has detained a Class 12 student 

The Delhi police has detained a Class 12 student for sending bomb threat mails to multiple city schools.

According to media reports,  the minor did not want to appear for exam at school and devised a plan to set the stage for bomb threats, which he assumed would disrupt the exams and get those cancelled.

The boy sent bomb threat emails at least six times, each time marking different schools except his own. To avoid suspicion, he always tagged multiple schools on the mail, said officials, adding that he once sent a mail to 23 schools.

Senior Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat said the Left parties have decided to contest six seats in the Delhi assembly polls, and support the "strongest candidates" fighting against the BJP in other constituencies.

She said the CPI-M would contest two out of the six seats, and "make all efforts to stop the BJP from coming to power" in the national capital.

"Candidates of all the parties have already been decided for the Delhi elections. The Left has decided to fight six seats. The CPI-M will contest two seats. The party has also decided to extend its support to the strong candidates who are contesting against the BJP in the rest of the seats," she said.

Karat was in Ranchi on Thursday to take part in the eighth Jharkhand State General Conference of Communist Party of India-Marxist.

The assembly elections to 70 seats in Delhi will be held on February 5, and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.

"It is up to the people of Delhi who they choose. I am sure they will be focused on the task of defeating the BJP, which has left no stone unturned to destroy the rights of people there in the past five years," she said. -- PTI

Not in person, of course. 

Mr Roshan and Ms Ranaut are said to have had something going after they made two movies together -- Krish 2 and Kites -- though Hrithik never confirmed it, and Kangana's views on the alleged matter amour have been reported. 

Now in one of those bizarre coincidences that only Bollywood could conjure, Hrihik's Netflix series The Roshans and Kangana's Emergency epic Emergency will release on the same day, January 17! 

Will more people watch The Roshans on Day 1 than Emergency or vice versa? Any wagers, folks?

The year 2024 was the hottest year on record, and the first with a global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, European climate agency Copernicus confirmed on Friday.  

 

Every month from January to June 2024 was the warmest ever recorded for those months. From July to December, except for August, each month was the second warmest on record, behind 2023, it said.

According to scientists at the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2024 was the hottest year since global temperature tracking began in 1850.

The average global temperature was 15.1 degrees Celsius -- 0.72 degrees above the 1991-2020 average and 0.12 degrees higher than that in 2023, the previous record-holder.

Scientists noted that the average temperature in 2024 was 1.60 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 baseline, the period before human activities like burning fossil fuels began significantly impacting the climate.

This is the first time the average global temperature has remained 1.5 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 average for an entire calendar year.

However, a permanent breach of the 1.5-degree Celsius limit specified in the Paris Agreement refers to long-term warming over a 20- or 30-year period.

That said, experts feel that the world is now entering a phase where temperatures will be consistently above this threshold.

Harjeet Singh, climate activist and the founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation, said the world is entering a new climate reality -- one where extreme heatwaves, devastating floods, and intense storms will become increasingly frequent and severe. 

"To prepare for this future, we must urgently scale up adaptation efforts across every level of society -- redesigning our homes, cities, and infrastructure, and transforming how we manage water, food, and energy systems," he said.

Singh said the world must move from fossil fuels to clean energy quickly and fairly, making sure no one is left behind, and that rich countries have a bigger responsibility to take bold steps.

C3S scientists said that in 2024, greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere hit their highest annual levels ever recorded. Carbon dioxide levels were 2.9 parts per million (ppm) higher than in 2023, reaching 422 ppm, while methane levels rose by 3 parts per billion (ppb), reaching 1897 ppb. -- PTI

Surajeet Das Gupta/Business Standard

The ministry of electronics and information and technology (Meity) has received offers for 20,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) from companies that bid under the Rs 10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission nearly double of what it is seeking through a request for empanelling companies.

Its request, to build artificial-intelligence (AI) computing capacity, came on August 16 last year. A senior official in Meity said: We were looking at 10,000 GPUs ... but we have received offers for over 20,000. We are evaluating them, and after that we will take a call, which will take some time. There is enthusiasm among companies.

The aim is to create affordable AI infrastructure, which will support startups, academics, and research agencies, among others. As many as 28 companies have shown an interest in this and 19 bid for empanelment, which is for 36 months and can be extended by another 12.

On the other hand, many Indian firms that have bid or shown an interest have tied up with American giant Nvidia, or have some understanding with it, to procure GPUs. 

The firm faces big demand from across the world. In India, for instance, Raheja-controlled Yotto Infrastructure has an agreement with the company to source 16,000 GPUs, of which the first lot of 4,000 was delivered a few months ago and is in use. The company says it is expecting to get the rest soon, adding, it has a visibility of another 32,000.

The other big players that have tied up with Nvidia include Reliance Industries, which has jointly announced building AI computing infrastructure in the country. It is reportedly going to provide the company Blackwell AI processors to build its large-scale data centre in Jamnagar.

This apart, the Tata group, E2E and Olas Kruttim have also got into various tieups and agreements to source GPUs. Tata Communications is powering its AI cloud infrastructure with Nvidia Hopper GPUs. It has also tied up with the company. And E2E has announced it is the first to bring in Nvidia H200 Tensor Core GPUs to the Indian market.

The other firms that have bid include Sify Digital Services, Orient Technologies, and CMS Computers NxtGen.

Canada's Indian-origin MP Chandra Arya has announced that he will run for the Liberal leadership with a campaign promising to make the country "a sovereign republic", increasing the retirement age, introducing a citizenship-based tax system and recognising the state of Palestine.

   

The Ottawa MP, who was born in Karnataka, made the announcement on X Thursday morning.

In a statement, Arya said he wants to make "Canada a sovereign republic", which would require replacing the monarchy as the head of state.

"It's time for Canada to take full control of its destiny," he wrote in a statement. 

Arya said he also wants to "a lead a small, more efficient government with a cabinet selected on merit and not on (diversity, equity and inclusion) quotas," the CBC reported.  

His multi-page announcement includes a list of policy proposals, including increasing the retirement age by two years in 2040, introducing a citizenship-based tax system and recognising Palestine as a state.

"I am running to be the next Prime Minister of Canada to lead a small, more efficient government to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations," Arya, who was first elected in 2015 in the suburban riding of Nepean, said.

"We are facing significant structural problems that haven't been seen for generations and solving them will require tough choices," he wrote. 

"I have always worked hard for what is best for Canadians, and for the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must make bold decisions that are absolutely necessary," he added. 

Arya said many Canadians, especially younger generations, face affordability issues and the working middle class is struggling. 

"Canada deserves leadership that isn't afraid to make the big decisions. Decisions that rebuild our economy, restore hope, create equal opportunities for all Canadians, and secure prosperity for our children and grandchildren," he said. -- PTI

Harsh Kumar/Business Standard

The All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) on Thursday announced a two-day nationwide strike, tentatively scheduled for February 24 and 25, in response to pressing concerns affecting its members and the broader banking industry.

The trade union represents the supervisory cadre of bank employees.

Key demands of the union include adequate recruitment across all banking cadres, the implementation of a five-day workweek in the banking sector, and the immediate withdrawal of recent directives from the Department of Financial Services on performance reviews and the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI).

AIBOC argues that these directives threaten job security, violate the 8th Joint Note, create divisions among employees, and undermine the autonomy of public sector banks.

Accordingly, it has been proposed to go for a two-day nationwide strike. If required, more stringent actions may follow, said Rupam Roy, general secretary, AIBOC.

Additionally, the AIBOC is demanding measures to ensure the safety of bank officers and staff against assaults and abuse by customers, the filling of vacant workmen/officer director positions in PSBs, and the resolution of pending issues with the Indian Banks' Association.

The union is also calling for an amendment to the Gratuity Act to raise the ceiling to Rs 25 lakh and provide tax exemptions, similar to the scheme for government employees.

More than 100 flights were delayed at the Delhi airport on Friday morning as low visibility conditions due to dense fog impacted operations.

   

IndiGo, in a post on X at 5.04 am, asked passengers to stay updated on flight status before heading to the airport.

"Due to dense fog, there has been impact on flight departures, however, flights which are CAT III compliant are able to land and depart from Delhi airport," airport operator DIAL said in a post on X at 5.52 am.

CAT  III compliance allows flight operations at low visibility conditions.

As per information available on flight tracking website Flightradar.com, over 100 flights were delayed at the airport.

The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) asked passengers to contact the airlines concerned for updated flight information and also regretted any inconvenience caused to the passengers.

"We strongly recommend planning extra time for your journey to the airport as foggy conditions in Delhi are reducing visibility and slowing down traffic," IndiGo said.

The national capital's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) handles around 1,300 flight movements daily. -- PTI 

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday blamed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, police and revenue officials for the Tirupati stampede in which six people were killed and dozens injured.

 

"Entire police force was deployed for Chandrababu's Kuppam tour for three days and there were no police personnel for crowd management which led to the stampede, alleged Reddy, addressing a press conference in the temple town.

With police occupied with Naidu's tour on January 6, 7 and 8, "no force" was available to handle the crowd, he said, adding that this "shows that the chief minister has neither fear nor devotion towards God".

Six devotees died and nearly 40 were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of people jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple on the Tirumala Hills.

Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing on January 10.

Former chief minister Reddy consoled the injured at a local hospital and demanded the TDP government extend an exgratia of Rs 50 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh each for the injured devotees.

Every year, lakhs of devotees come on Vaikunata Ekadashi (an auspicious occasion), and arrangements should have been made as it has been the practice. But this time, there was negligence and a lack of manpower to control the crowd, he said.

Alleging that the sanctity of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the official custodian of the Lord Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, has been degraded, the opposition leader claimed that the stampede shows how the coalition leaders and the TTD top brass treat the devotees who come from far and wide for a darshan.

"During our term (20192024) we had conducted such events with care and passion, but this year caution was thrown to the winds... The devotees were kept in parks and other places without even giving them food or water," he alleged.

Further, Reddy asserted that the FIR over the stampede was booked under "ordinary" sections and claimed that the devotees had come from all the counters to complain about a similar situation and not just from Bairagi Patteda. -- PTI

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Chairman S N Subrahmanyan sparked an online outrage with his comments advocating a 90-hour work week and suggesting that employees should even give up Sundays.

Now, actor Deepika Padukone, who is also a big mental health advocate, has weighed in on the debate.

Posting a Instagram story, Deepika wrote, "Shocking to see people in such senior positions make such statements. #MentalHealthMatters."

In a purported video address to employees, Subrahmanyan urged them to spend less time at home and more in the office.

"How long can you stare at your wife," he is heard saying 

"I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy, because I work on Sundays," Subrahmanyan is heard saying in an undated video circulating on social media.

"What do you do sitting at home? How long can you stare at your wife? How long can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the office and start working," he further said.

His remarks reignited the work-life balance debate, first triggered by Infosys Co-Founder Narayana Murthy's suggestion of a 70-hour work week.

His comments drew criticism on social media with some asking how long could "employees stare at screens and fat*** managers?"  

Soon after, L&T issued a clarification saying the chairman's remarks were in the context of extraordinary efforts required for achieving extraordinary outcomes for the nation.

"We believe this is India's decade, a time demanding collective dedication and effort to drive progress and realise our shared vision of becoming a developed nation.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday asked police to take strict action in a case in which a minor boy was stripped by a mob that barged into his house in Indore.

The police have registered an FIR and nine accused have been identified on the basis of CCTV footage and investigation, Yadav said in a statement.

"Six accused have been arrested. They have all been charged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," the CM said. 

The incident took place on January 4 when a mob of at least 25 persons barged into his house, vandalised it and assaulted his kin, a police official said.

They stripped the boy, he added.

A video of the incident went viral on social media, the official said, adding the incident was the fallout of a dispute between two persons.   -- PTI