Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) A Delhi court on Saturday imposed a cost of Rs 5,000 on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for not appearing in hearing on a criminal defamation complaint filed against him for his alleged "scorpion" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja imposed the cost on the Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram noting that he had failed to appear before him despite the court's earlier direction.

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Power producers' total outstanding dues owed by distribution firms jumped nearly 50 per cent to Rs 88,177 crore in December 2019 over the same month previous year, reflecting stress in the sector.

Distribution companies (discoms) owed a total of Rs 59,015 crore to power generation companies in December 2018, according to portal PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators).

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday shared a video purportedly showing Jamia students being beaten up by police and said if no action is taken, the government's intentions would stand exposed.

She also accused the Home Minister and the Delhi Police of "lying" that Jamia students were not beaten up inside the library.

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) The Bihar Assembly polls later this year should be fought on local development issues and restraint over language must be maintained, Union minister and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan has said.

The remarks by the BJP ally assume significance as they come after a vitriolic Delhi Assembly polls campaign in which some BJP leaders were rapped by the Election Commission for making inflammatory speeches.

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) Six MLAs, including Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Kailash Gahlot and Gopal Rai, took oath as ministers in the newly sworn Delhi Cabinet on Sunday.

Others who took oath at the Ramlila Maidan were Rajendra Pal Gautam and Imran Hussain.

New Delhi, Feb 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged scientists to focus on real-time social issues being faced by the country such as malnutrition by providing value addition in agricultural products.

Chairing a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society here on Friday, Modi emphasised on the importance of developing virtual labs so that science can further be taken to all students in each and every corner of the country.

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday remembered the 40 CRPF personnel killed in the Pulwama attack last year and asked who benefitted the most from the attack and what is the outcome of the inquiry into it.

Gandhi asked who in the BJP government had been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack.

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) Two more persons were arrested on Thursday in connection with the alleged molestation of students during a cultural festival at the all-women Gargi College here last week, officials said.

On Wednesday, 10 people, aged between 18 and 25 years, were arrested in the case.

New Delhi, Feb 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday on a plea filed by Sara Abdullah Pilot challenging the detention of her brother and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah under the Public Safety Act.

A bench, comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee, said it would hear on March 2 Pilot's plea challenging Abdullah's detention.

Mumbai, Feb 14 ( PTI) Adani Group on Friday inked agreements with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for the management, operations and development of Ahmedabad, Mangaluru and Lucknow airports.

"Today, as we sign the concession agreements for Mangaluru, Lucknow & A'bad with the AAI, its the beginning of another historic journey catering to India's exponential airport infra demands," Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani said in a tweet.