HIGHLIGHTS

Following are the top stories at 9 PM: NATION: DEL42 LD COVID COVID-19: Mock drills held in hospitals across country to check preparedness New Delhi/Mumbai: Mock drills were held at health facilities across India on Tuesday to check operational readiness to deal with any spurt in COVID-19 infection, with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya saying the country has to remain alert and prepared as cases are rising in the world.

DEL43 CONG-PRAGYA Cong leader Jairam Ramesh to move Supreme Court against BJP MP Pragya Thakur over 'hate speech' New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks at a function in Karnataka's Shivamogga are a clear example of hate speech and he would move the Supreme Court against her.

DEL40 PAR-CHINA With increasing Chinese outreach, India needs to enhance developmental diplomacy in neighbourhood: MEA to Par panel New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has recommended that India needs to review and enhance its developmental diplomacy in view of the increasing Chinese outreach and presence in its neighbourhood.

DEL28 UP-CONG-LD KHURSHID Khurshid likens Rahul to Lord Ram, BJP says Cong puts devotion to family above devotion to God, nation Moradabad/New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has likened Rahul Gandhi to Lord Ram and described him as ''superhuman'' and a ''yogi doing tapasya'' as he lauded the former party chief for his Bharat Jodo Yatra, evoking sharp criticism from the BJP. DEL38 CONG-VADRA-LAND Robert Vadra a victim of fraud, BJP levelling false charges against him to target party leadership: Congress New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP of ''peddling lies'' to victimise Robert Vadra and target the Congress leadership, and said the Modi government has lost its sense of balance as it is rattled by the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

BOM26 MH-ASSEMBLY-2ND LD BORDER ROW-RESOLUTION Maha legislature passes resolution to 'legally pursue' inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking K'taka villages into state Nagpur: The Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to ''legally pursue'' the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the western state, amid the raging boundary dispute.

MDS21 KA-LD MAHA RESOLUTION-REAX Maharashtra Legislature resolution on border row is irresponsible & against federal structure: K'taka CM Belagavi (K'taka): Terming Maharashtra Legislature's resolution on the border issue as ''irresponsible and against federal structure,'' Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday once again asserted that not even inch of the state's land will be ceded.

CAL17 AS-2NDLD HAILSTORM Over 4,400 houses damaged as hailstorm lashes parts of Assam Dibrugarh/Tinsukia (Assam): A massive hailstorm swept through several areas of upper Assam, damaging nearly 4,500 houses in four districts, officials said on Tuesday. DEL24 EC-AS-LD DELIMITATION EC initiates delimitation of assembly, parliamentary constituencies in Assam New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday said it has initiated the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam and will use the 2001 census figures for the readjustment of seats.

DEL15 YEAR-LAW 2022 saw fresh attack on collegium system; record appointments in HCs New Delhi: Amid a renewed attack mounted by the government on the collegium system of appointing members to the higher judiciary, a ''record'' 138 judges were appointed to the various high courts this year. By Nilesh Bhagat BOM23 MH-COURT-KOCHHARS-PERMISSION Loan fraud case: Court allows Kochhar couple, Venugopal Dhoot to use special beds in CBI custody and home food Mumbai: A court here on Tuesday permitted former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar, and Videocon group founder Venugopal Dhoot to use special beds and mattresses while in the custody of CBI in connection with a loan fraud case.

CAL15 OD-RUSSIANS-DEATH-LD PROBE Odisha DGP orders CID probe into 'unnatural' death of two Russian nationals Bhubaneswar: Odisha DGP Sunil Kumar Bansal on Tuesday ordered a CID probe into the “unnatural” death of two Russian nationals, including a lawmaker of that country, at the same hotel in Rayagada district.

MDS19 KA-MODI-BROTHER-LD ACCIDENT PM Modi's brother, family injured in accident near Mysuru Mysuru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brother Prahlad Modi and family members sustained injuries when the car in which they were travelling met with an accident near here, police said on Tuesday.

MDS7 KL-VIJAYAN-LD PM Kerala CM meets PM Modi in Delhi Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter's official residence in New Delhi, an official source said.

LEGAL: LGD13 UP-COURT-2NDLD URBAN BODY POLLS Allahabad HC quashes UP govt notification, tells it to hold municipal polls with no OBC reservation Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday quashed the Uttar Pradesh government’s draft notification on urban local body elections and ordered it to hold the polls without reservation for the Other Backward Classes.

LGD11 SC-RELIGIOUS CONVERTS-PANEL Plea in SC challenges Centre's decision to set up panel to examine granting SC status to religious converts New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the formation of a commission headed by former CJI K G Balakrishnan to examine giving Scheduled Caste status to people who claim to have historically belonged to the SCs but have converted to Christianity or Islam.

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