LIVE News Updates: After SC rap, Centre orders Bharti Airtel, Voda Idea, others to clear dues before midnight 

After Supreme Court rap, the telecom department began issuing orders, directing companies such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to clear dues before Friday midnight.

The DoT, which faced the ire of the Supreme Court for putting on hold recovery of dues from telecom companies, started issuing circle or zone-wise demand notices to firms, an order seen by PTI said.

The order issued on Friday by the UP (West) Telecom Circle asked "all telecom service providers" to clear dues by 11.59 pm Friday.

Karnataka: Bail has been granted to two women who were arrested in connection with Bidar school play case, in which a school was sealed allegedly after students performed a play against CAA and National Register Citizens.

Gujarat State Women Commission (GSWC) has ordered the State police to carry out a probe regarding the incident at Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute (SSGI) in Bhuj.

The Delhi Commission For Women on Friday issued notices to the Delhi Police and the DMRC after a woman alleged that she was harassed by a man inside a metro train.

In a series of tweets, the woman claimed that on Wednesday night when she was returning to Gurgaon on a metro train, a man facing her flashed his genitals. She also posted a picture of the man on the microblogging site.

The DCW also sought details of the FIR registered in the matter and whether the accused has been arrested.

EU Envoy after Kashmir visit: "Important to lift restrictions swiftly", NDTV reported

A heartfelt tribute to all the martyrs of Pulwama. It is the duty of the country to take care of the martyrs' families and their needs. We will neither forget their martyrdom nor let the families of martyrs feel alone, tweeted Priyanka Gandhi

National Commission for Women: We have taken suo-moto cognisance in the matter and have set-up an inquiry team to visit and speak with the students at Shree Sahjanand Girls Institute in Bhuj, Gujarat.

Delhi: Supreme Court lifts ban on construction activities in Delhi-NCR between 6 pm & 6 am. A bench of Justice Arun Mishra &Justice Deepak Gupta alters the court's earlier order to allow the activities on a plea filed by builders. The ban was imposed to curb pollution.

Stones thrown at Kanhaiya Kumar’s convoy in Arrah, Bihar, NDTV reported

Scores of students took out a march in Delhi University's north campus on Friday in solidarity with anti-CAA protesters and the students of Gargi College, who were allegedly molested during a festival last week.

During the march, the students stopped at various points on the campus where they recited poems and raised slogans of 'azaadi' and 'Inquilab Zindabad'.

The event was organised on Valentine's Day to highlight the message of how unity and love are answers to hate.

Justice R Banumathi was taken into the chamber immediately after she fainted during the hearing in 2012 Delhi gang-rape case in Supreme Court today. The bench has adjourned the case and says the order will be released later.

Supreme Court also said in its order, that the medical reports said that Vinay is psychologically fit and his medical condition is stable. The Apex Court dismissed his petition, finding it devoid of merit.

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.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for Pilot in the apex court.

Pilot had on Monday approached the top court challenging her brother's detention under the Public Safety Act, saying the detention order was "manifestly illegal" and there was no question of him being a "threat to the maintenance of public order".

Sara Abdullah Pilot: We were hopeful that,as this is a habeas corpus case, that the relief would be sooner. But we have full faith in the justice system. We're here because we want that all Kashmiris should have the same rights as all citizen of India & we're waiting for that day.

Supreme Court issues notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration on the plea of Sara Abdullah Pilot, former J&K CM Omar Abdullah’s sister challenging his detention under Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. The Court asks J&K administration to file a reply by March 2.

Darshana Dholakia, Dean, Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute,Bhuj: Matter is related to hostel, it has nothing to do with University/College. Everything happened with girls' permission, nobody was forced for it. Nobody touched them.Still, inquiry team formed to look into the matter.

Gujarat: 68 girl students of Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute (SSGI) in Bhuj were reportedly asked to remove their innerwear to prove that they were not menstruating.

Protesters at Shaheen Bagh hold heart-shaped cutouts with 'PM Modi please come to Shaheen Bagh' written on them. Protest against Citizenship Amendment Act has been going on at the spot.

In Mangta village, Kanpur, Dalits performing Bhimkatha were attacked by the goons. Many have been hospitalized. Be it Shabbirpur or Mangta incident, BJP government turned a deaf ear to the victims' families. The BJP has already attacked the Constitution and now the it is targeting even the narration of Babasaheb’s story, tweeted Priyanka Gandhi

Delhi: Saket court grants bail to 10 people, who were arrested in connection with the alleged molestation of students during a cultural festival at Gargi college, on a bail amount of Rs 10,000 each. Earlier, they were sent to judicial custody by the court.

Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and NRC. The court has sought the govt’s reply & tagged the matter along with similar pending matters. The petition was filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.

The opposition Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party on Friday walked out of the Vidhan Sabha after Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit refused to allow a debate during Question Hour on "increasing atrocities on women" in the state.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Congress members demanded the debate on the issue after suspension of rules and the SP members supported it.

Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary said that the issue was of prime importance and that the police had started booking innocent women participating in peaceful protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in the state.

The Speaker ordered for expunction of all remarks from the House proceedings and announced adjournment of the Assembly for 20 minutes.

Following this, Congress MLAs walked into the well of the House, with opposition members sloganeering against the Yogi government.

Bhima Koregaon case: Bombay High Court rejects the anticipatory bail plea of Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde. The court has given them 4-weeks time to approach the Supreme Court.

A bench of Supreme Court, headed by Justice Arun Mishra, observed and threatened the telecom companies, as to why no initiation of contempt proceedings should be there against them for not paying the AGR and not complying with SC's earlier order.

The petition seeking a stay on the online sale of unregulated medical devices was dismissed by Justice NV Ramana's bench today. Supreme Court said that the government has already enacted Medical Devices Rules, so no further direction may be given.

Delhi High Court to hear the petition of advocate ML Sharma, seeking a CBI probe in Gargi college incident, on February 17. Students had alleged that they were sexually assaulted on campus during their annual cultural fest.

Fresh identity cards are now being issued to journalists here, following an alert from intelligence agencies about possibility of a terror attack on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath where the attacker could come in the guise of a journalist.

The city police have started issuing identity cards carrying photographs to journalists who will cover the Chief Minister's programmes. Only those carrying photo identity cards will be allowed to cover the programmes henceforth.

Circle officer, LIU, Jagdish Singh, said, "We have been informed that security agencies have issued an alert about chances of an attack on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur. As per the directives of officials, we are issuing identity cards to journalists. Many identity cards have been issued, while others are being processed."

India will never forget the martyrdom of the security personnel killed in last year's Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.

He termed the slain security personnel were "exceptional individuals" who devoted their lives to serving and protecting the nation.

On February 14 last year, a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the attack.

"Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," Modi tweeted.

Today as we remember our 40 CRPF martyrs in the Pulwama Attack , let us ask: 1. Who benefitted the most from the attack? 2. What is the outcome of the inquiry into the attack? 3. Who in the BJP Govt has yet been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi

The Allahabad High Court has stayed recovery notice issued to a Kanpur man, for allegedly destroying public properties during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protest in the city that began on December 19.

In an interim relief to the petitioner Mohammad Faizan, the bench of Justice Pankaj Naqvi and Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery on Thursday stayed the notice issued by the additional DM saying that the Supreme Court was already examining the legality of such orders.

Faizan's counsel had challenged the recovery notice, pleading that the recovery notice was issued by an ADM whereas, the Supreme Court had unequivocally provided that such an order can be issued only by a serving or retried high court judge, or retired district judge as �claims commissioner'.

This is significant since majority of the other recovery notices issued to protesters across the state have been issued by local administrative officials.

The bench directed the state government to file a counter-affidavit within a month. The court directed to list this case in the week commencing April 20, 2020 before the appropriate bench for the next hearing. This will also be subject to the outcome of the proceedings before the Supreme Court.

After the National Yuva Mahotsav and the Defence Expo, Uttar Pradesh is now set to host the ‘Ekal Parivartan Kumbh from February 17-18 in Lucknow.

Sushma Swaraj epitomised dignity and had an unwavering commitment to public service, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, as he paid tributes to the late BJP leader on her 68th birth anniversary.

Swaraj died on August 6 last year following a cardiac arrest.

"Remembering Sushma Ji. She epitomised dignity, decency and unwavering commitment to public service," the prime minister tweeted.

Modi said the former external affairs minister was firmly rooted in Indian values and ethos, and had great dreams for the country.

"She was an exceptional colleague and an outstanding minister," he added.

The epicentre of the outbreak, Hubei province in China is now changing the way it counts coronavirus infected persons which led to total cases jumping by almost 15,000 on Thursday.

Till now, the China death toll is at 1,367, up 254 as cases rise to 59,804. In Hubei, the infections have jumped by 14,840 as the death toll reads 242. Wuhan, the worst affected city is the capital of Hubei province