HIGHLIGHTS

These are the top stories at 5.20 pm: Nation PAR14 RS-2NDLD NO CONFIDENCE MOTION 8 MPs suspended in RS; Naidu rejects motion of no-confidence against dy chair New Delhi: Eight opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha, including TMC leader Derek O'Brien and Sanjay Singh of AAP, were on Monday suspended for the remainder of the Monsoon session of Parliament for "unruly behaviour" during the passage of two farm bills, leading to protests and washing out of proceedings. DEL46 LD-PM Farm bills need of 21st century, mandis and MSP will stay: PM New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Monday that the farm sector reform bills passed by Parliament were the need of 21st century India and again reassured farmers that the government purchase of their produce coupled with the minimum support price mechanism will continue. DEL45 OPPN-PREZ-FARM BILLS Opposition parties seek meeting with President, urge him not to sign farm bills New Delhi: A day after two contentious farm bills were passed by Rajya Sabha amid a bedlam, a number of non-NDA parties wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind over the manner in which the government "pushed through its agenda" and urged him not to grant his assent to the proposed legislations.

DEL13 VIRUS-LD CASES 86,961 new COVID-19 cases in India, tally reaches 54,87,580; death toll mounts to 87,882 New Delhi: India's COVID-19 tally reached 54.88 lakh with 86,961 people being infected in the past 24 hours, while 43,96,399 people have recuperated so far pushing the national recovery rate to 80.12 per cent on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry data. DEL36 SINOINDIA-TALKS Army commanders of India, China hold 6th round of talks on border standoff New Delhi: Senior army commanders of India and China on Monday held talks on implementing a five-point agreement reached between the two countries on disengagement of troops and de-escalation of the tense situation in eastern Ladakh, government sources said.

BOM13 MH-LDALL COLLAPSE Maha: 11 killed in Bhiwandi building collapse; 13 rescued Thane: Seven children and four others were killed and 13, including a four-year-old boy, rescued after a three-storeyed building collapsed in Maharashtra's Bhiwandi town on Monday, police said. DEL43 UP-PLANE-2NDLD CRASH Four-seater aircraft crashes in UP, trainee pilot dead Azamgarh (UP): A four-seater aircraft crashed in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh on Monday, leaving a 21-year-old trainee pilot dead, officials said, as they suspected that bad weather led to the incident.

DEL50 CONG-RS-LD SUSPENSION Cong terms suspension of RS MPs undemocratic, says 'muting of democratic India' continues New Delhi: The Congress on Monday termed "undemocratic" and "one-sided" the suspension of eight Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, including three of its own, with Rahul Gandhi saying the "muting of democratic India” continues by initially silencing and later suspending the parliamentarians. DEL11 RSQ-TABLIGHI Tablighi Jamaat event caused COViD-19 to spread to 'many persons' : MHA to RS New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Monday said the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi's Nizamuddin locality in March led to the coronavirus infection spreading to "many persons".

DEL55 RAFALE-WOMAN LD PILOT IAF's Rafale fleet to have first woman pilot soon New Delhi: A woman fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force will soon join the newly-inducted Rafale fighter fleet as one of its crew flying the multi-role aircraft, official sources said on Monday. Legal LGD8 SC-2NDLD NLSIU-NLAT SC quashes NLSIU Bengaluru’s notification for holding separate entrance exam NLAT-2020 New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday quashed the NLSIU Bengaluru’s notification for conducting separate entrance exam, the National Law Aptitude Test (NLAT) held on September 12, for admission to its five-year law course and directed it to admit students on the basis of CLAT 2020 results.

LGD6 DL-COURT-JOURNALIST Court extends freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma's custody in espionage case New Delhi: A Delhi court Monday extended by seven days the custodial interrogation of freelance journalist Rajeev Sharma, arrested in an espionage case under the Official Secrets Act. Business DCM24 BIZ-TELECOM-AGR 'Telcos need to pay 10% of total AGR dues by Mar 31 irrespective of payment made' New Delhi: Telecom operators, including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, which have pending adjusted gross revenue dues will have to pay 10 per cent of the total liability by March 31 irrespective of the part-payments made by them, according to government sources. By Prasoon Srivastava Foreign FGN8 PAK-OPPOSITION Opposition parties in Pak launch alliance to oust PM Imran Khan Islamabad: Demanding Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's immediate resignation, the country's major Opposition parties have launched an alliance to hold a countrywide protest movement to oust his government. By Sajjad Hussain Sports SPF8 SPO-CRI-IPL-LD UMPIRE-HOWLER KXIP appeal against 'short run' call, players seek more technology intervention for better calls Dubai: Kings XI Punjab have appealed against on-field umpire Nitin Menon's controversial 'short run' call at crunch time of their IPL game against Delhi Capitals as former players seek more technological intervention for the sake of fair results. PTI HDA