HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9 pm NATION: DEL82 CORONAVIRUS-3RDLD CASES Coronavirus cases in country climb to 151 New Delhi: The number of novel coronavirus cases in India rose to 151 on Wednesday after four more were reported from various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry. DEL134 RS-LDALL POLLS Rajya Sabha polls: Pawar, Athawale among 37 elected unopposed; election to 18 other seats on Mar 26 New Delhi: NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh were among 37 candidates elected unopposed on Wednesday to Rajya Sabha as the deadline for withdrawal of nomination ended.

DEL128 LDALL CORONAVIRUS COVID-19: Army reports its first case, suspends all wargames, trainings; Total cases in India rise to 151 New Delhi/Leh: The Indian Army reported its first case of coronavirus after a 34-year-old soldier of Ladakh Scout regiment tested positive, prompting the force to strengthen its check and prevention mechanism and suspend war games and training activities, as the total number of cases rose to 151 in the country on Wednesday. DEL123 LDALL MADHYA PRADESH Will not come in way of floor test in MP:SC, but asks how to ensure free exercise of choice by 16 Cong rebels ensure SC, asks Speaker New Delhi/Bengaluru: Acknowledging that the fate of the Kamal Nath government is now in the hands of the 16 rebel MLAs, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will not come in the way of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly to decide on the floor test but asked how to ensure a free exercise of choice by the dissidents. DEL80 RS-LD CORONAVIRUS-MASKS Masks debut in RS; MPs demand curtailing of Budget session New Delhi: Opposition Rajya Sabha members on Wednesday demanded curtailment of the ongoing Budget session, which is due to end on April 3, in view of the novel coronavirus scare, but the government seemed unwilling. DEL 131 DL-CORONAVIRUS-LD OFFICES Delhi govt contemplating shutting down some of its offices in view of coronavirus: Sources New Delhi: The Delhi government is contemplating shutting down its offices, barring essential services like health and public transport, in view of the coronavirus outbreak, sources said on Wednesday.

DEL119 CORONAVIRUS-RJ-LD EVACUEES 195 Indians brought back from coronavirus-hit Iran, kept at Army facility in Jaisalmer Jaisalmer: A batch of 195 Indians stranded in the coronavirus-hit Iran was brought back by a special plane on Wednesday evening, an official said here. BOM45 MH-CORONAVIRUS-UDDHAV Suburban trains, Maha buses to run with 50% seating capacity Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday decided to keep government offices functional with 50 per cent attendance and reduce passenger load on public transport services, including suburban trains, by 50 per cent as part of efforts to enforce social distancing and contain spread of the coronavirus.

MDS25 CORONAVIRUS-2LD KA COVID-19 cases rise to 14, Karnataka extends week-long lockdown till March 31 Bengaluru: With COVID-19 cases reaching 14 with three more people testing positive, the Karnataka government on Wednesday extended the lockdown announced last week to March 31 as it stepped up efforts to combat the spread of the disease which has already claimed a life in the State. CAL11 OD-CORONA-PATNAIK 'CM's sister in home isolation for coronavirus on return from abroad' Bhubaneswar: Hours after making an appeal to the people returning home from abroad to register themselves with the official COVID-19 portal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday registered his sister Gita Mehta's name on the portal after her return from the US.

PAR19 RS-AYUSH Rajya Sabha passes bills for setting up national commissions for homoeopathy and Indian systems of medicine New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed two bills that seek to provide for quality medical education system in homoeopathy and promote Indian systems of medicines. LEGAL: LGD62 SC-2ND LD MP SC refuses proposal to produce rebel Cong MLAs in judges chamber, says can't be held captive New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to accept the proposal for producing 16 rebel MLAs of the Madhya Pradesh Congress in judges' chamber, and observed that they may or may not go to the Assembly but they cannot be held captive.

LGD80 SC-CORONAVIRUS-LD MID-DAY MEAL Coronavirus: Lack of mid-day meals due to school shutdown should not deprive kids of food, says SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that non-availability of mid-day meals to children, as schools in many parts of the country have been shut due to the coronavirus pandemic, should not deprive them of nutritious food. LGD81 DL-HC-NIRBHAYA-LD ORDER Nirbhaya: HC junks death-row convict Mukesh's plea claiming he was not in Delhi at time of crime New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday dismissed the plea of Mukesh Singh, one of the four death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, that challenged a trial court order which rejected his claim he was not in the national capital when the crime was committed on December 16, 2012.

BUSINESS: DCM39 BIZ-STOCKS-LD TELECOM Telecom shares crack; Vodafone Idea plunges 35 pc New Delhi: Telecom shares came crashing on Wednesday, led by Vodafone Idea which plunged 35 per cent after the Supreme Court pulled up the Centre and telcos for doing self-assessment or reassessment of the AGR dues fixed by the apex court DCM65 CORONAVIRUS-BIZ-HOSPITALITY Coronavirus: FHRAI asks members to follow govt guidelines rigorously New Delhi: Apex hospitality industry body Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations Of India (FHRAI) on Wednesday asked its members to adhere to the instructions issued by government authorities on containing the spread of novel coronavirus. FOREIGN: FGN65 CORONAVIRUS-MALAYSIA-INDIANS Kuala Lumpur: India has evacuated its 405 citizens, including students, stranded at Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Indian High Commission here said on Wednesday. FGN60 CORONAVIRUS-BANGLA-DEATH Dhaka: Bangladesh on Wednesday reported its first death due to the novel coronavirus pandemic while four new infections were detected, taking the number of cases in the country to 14, a senior health official said.

FGN45 PAK-CORONAVIRUS Islamabad/Lahore: The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Pakistan on Wednesday rose to 250 as fresh cases emerged in Sindh, Islamabad and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces with majority of them linked to pilgrims coming from Iran. PTI ANB ANB