HIGHLIGHTS

DEL149 BIZ-LDALL SURVEY 8.42 PM India to retain fastest growing economy tag with 6.8-7.2 pc expansion next fiscal Eco Survey New Delhi Indias economy is projected to grow by 6.8-7.2 per cent in the fiscal year starting April, the governments pre-Budget Economic Survey said on Thursday, reaffirming the countrys status as the worlds fastest-growing major economy despite trade risks and global volatility clouding the outlook.

Following are the top stories at 9 PM TOP STORIES LGD27 SC-UGC 2NDLD REGULATION (5.05 PM) **** SC puts new UGC regulations on hold, says can have 'very sweeping consequences' New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the recent UGC equity regulations on preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses, saying the framework is ''prima facie vague'', can have ''very sweeping consequences'' and may end up dividing society with a ''dangerous impact''. **** DEL149 BIZ-LDALL SURVEY (8.42 PM) **** India to retain fastest growing economy tag with 6.8-7.2 pc expansion next fiscal: Eco Survey New Delhi: India's economy is projected to grow by 6.8-7.2 per cent in the fiscal year starting April, the government's pre-Budget Economic Survey said on Thursday, reaffirming the country's status as the world's fastest-growing major economy despite trade risks and global volatility clouding the outlook. **** NATION DEL137 PM-SURVEY (7.35 PM) **** Economic Survey reflects sustained growth, outlines roadmap for Viksit Bharat: PM New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Economic Survey has highlighted strong macroeconomic fundamentals, sustained growth momentum and the expanding role of innovation, entrepreneurship and infrastructure in nation-building. **** MDS35 KL-2ND LDALL BUDGET (8.27 PM) **** Kerala Budget casts wide welfare net ahead of polls Thiruvananthapuram: With Assembly elections just months away, the Pinarayi Vijayan government on Thursday presented a budget that reaches nearly every household in Kerala- from schoolchildren to working women to the most vulnerable-and earmarking a whopping Rs 14,500 crore solely for welfare pensions during 2026–27. **** DEL92 CONG-2NDLD THAROOR (4.26 PM) **** 'All is good, we are on same page': Shashi Tharoor after meeting Kharge, Rahul New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday met party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for redressal of his grievances, after which he said ''all is good'' and ''we are all on the same page'', signalling a rapprochement with his party ahead of the crucial Kerala Assembly polls. **** BOM27 AVI-PLANE CRASH-LDALL BLACK BOX (7.57 PM) **** Baramati plane crash: Black box recovered; Naidu seeks Maha govt support for expeditious probe Mumbai: The black box of the ill-fated Learjet 45 plane that crashed near the Baramati airstrip on Wednesday morning has been recovered, while Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu sought the state government's support for expediting the probe into the accident. **** CAL28 WB-FIRE-LD TOLL (8.18 PM) **** Bengal fire: Five more burnt body parts found, death exhibits rise to 21; DNA tests underway Kolkata: The police on Thursday recovered five more body parts, including partially burnt and skeletal remains, from the site of a massive fire near Kolkata, taking the total number of body exhibits to 21, a senior officer said. **** CAL23 OD-WORLD BANK-LD TRADE (7.07 PM) **** India should think less on tariffs, more on opportunities to boost trade: World Bank's Ajay Banga Bhubaneswar: World Bank Group President Ajay Banga on Thursday said India should ''think less'' about tariffs and focus more on opportunities, amid concerns over global trade due to geopolitical tensions. **** DEL120 BEATING RETREAT-CEREMONY (6.03 PM) **** 'Vijay Bharat', other tunes regale audience at Beating Retreat amid 'Vande Mataram' spirit New Delhi: 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja', 'Vijay Bharat' and other patriotic tunes filled the air at the Raisina Hill during the Beating Retreat ceremony on Thursday that also celebrated 150 years of 'Vande Mataram'. **** LEGAL LGD34 DL-COURT-LD SAXENA (7.20 PM) **** Delhi court acquits LG VK Saxena in 25-year-old defamation case filed by Medha Patkar New Delhi: In a relief to Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, a court here on Thursday acquitted him in a 25-year-old defamation case filed by activist Medha Patkar, stating that the complainant failed to prove her charges against him. **** BUSINESS DEL147 BIZ-INFLATION-NEW SERIES (8.34 PM) **** January inflation data to be based on new CPI series New Delhi: The January retail inflation data will reflect price movements in airfares, e-commerce platforms and subscription rates of OTT channels like Amazon Prime, with the statistics ministry expanding constituents of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). **** FOREIGN FGN41 CHINA-STARMER-6THLD XI (8.04 PM) **** Xi, Starmer agree to develop long-term, comprehensive strategic partnership as Trump shadow looms Beijing/London: Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday agreed to develop a long-term, stable comprehensive strategic partnership, in a rebuff to US President Donald Trump's unpredictable policies and tariff threats. **** FGN6 US-INDIA-EU-BESSENT (8.20 AM) **** Very disappointed: US Treasury Secretary on India-EU trade deal New York: In the wake of the FTA between India and the EU, the US has described the Europeans as ''very disappointing'', saying they were unwilling to join Washington in putting tariffs on New Delhi for its purchases of Russian oil because of this trade deal. By Yoshita Singh ****

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