LIVE News Updates: Schools in Puducherry re-opened for full-day classes

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh will be spearheading the farmers' agitation against the Centre's contentious farm laws, across various districts in the state, beginning from Wednesday.

Singh is scheduled to hold a series of 'kisan chaupals' and 'panchayats' at many villages in the state. He will also be staying with the farmers for four days and interact with them, said a party statement.

The former CM will be holding the first kisan chaupal in Ratlam's Renmahu Chowpatty on Wednesday night. Subsequently, on Thursday 'kisan mahapanchayats' will be convened at Delanpur in the same district, at Badnagar on Friday and in Sehore's Shyampur on Saturday.

All schools in Puducherry and Karaikal regions re-opened on Wednesday for full-day classes after being shut in view of the pandemic.

The students from standard I to XII would haveclasses as per school timings on all six days (Monday to Saturday) of the week, Director of School Education T Rudra Goud said in a press release.

The institutions remained closed from March last year in view of the COVID-19 situation. But, the government let students appearing for Class X and class XII public exams to attend classes for clearance of doubts and clarification on the subjects since October 6 last.

The students attended the classes after presenting consent letters from their parents.

The territorial government re-opened colleges on December 17 for students of final year classes in arts and science colleges.

As fire continued to ravage the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, the state government on Wednesday sent a high-level team to the spot to examine the forest fire situation and control the raging inferno.

Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and other senior officials to visit the spot and assess the situation.

"I have asked the PCCF, Wildlife to ascertain the cause of the fire and examine the situation. The PCF will submit a report to the state government on Thursday," the Minister said.

Bharat Biotech says its Covaxin shows interim clinical efficacy of 81% in Phase 3 results, NDTV reported

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 has struck central Greece. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Meghalaya: Governor Satya Pal Malik took his first dose of COVID vaccine in Shillong today.

Ramesh Jarkiholi's resignation has been accepted by Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa and sent to Governor for approval.

Karnataka Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi tenders resignation from his post in the wake of his alleged involvement in a sex tape case. His letter to CM reads, 'Allegation against me is far from truth. As fair investigation should take place, I'm resigning on moral grounds."

Supreme Court posts to March 4, the hearing in an appeal by Amazon Prime's India head of original content Aparna Purohit, against the Allahabad High Court order that denied anticipatory bail to her, in the ongoing investigation against the web series 'Tandav'.

Income Tax raids underway at the properties of film director Anurag Kashyap and actor Taapsee Pannu in Mumbai: Income Tax Department

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed for traffic on Wednesday due to a landslide in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, leaving over 300 vehicles stranded, officials said.

A bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, while refusing to entertain a PIL against former J and K CM Farooq Abdullah, observed that the expression of views that are different from the opinion of the government cannot be termed as seditious

An Army officer allegedly shot himself dead at an Army depot in Khonmoh area of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. Lieutenant Colonel Sudeep Bhagat, who was posted at the depot, fired upon himself, the officials said, adding he died on the spot. It was not immediately known why the officer took such an extreme step.

China mobilized its conventional & cyber forces to threaten India. GOI buckled. Mark my words, our land in Depsang is gone and DBO is vulnerable. GOI’s cowardice will lead to tragic consequences in the future, tweeted Rahul Gandhi

With the addition of 607 new cases ofcoronavirus, the tally in Maharashtra's Thane district has gone up to 2,66,092, an official said on Wednesday.

It was a pleasant morning in the national capital on Wednesday and the minimum temperature settled at 13.2 degrees Celsius, the Met office said.

Sensex rallies 411.23 points to trade at 50,708.12 in opening session; Nifty rises 124.65 points to 15,043.75

An SUV packed with 25 people pulled in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer on a two-lane highway cutting through farmland near the US-Mexico border early Tuesday, killing 13 and leaving bodies strewn across the roadway. Most of the dead were Mexicans, a Mexican official said.

Srinagar-Jammu National Highway blocked since 3 am today, due to a landslide at Shabanbas Banihal. One oil tanker stuck at the site, restoration work underway: Disaster Management Authority, Jammu and Kashmir Government

National Investigation Agency takes over the investigation of the case of Hidayatullah Malik, chief of Lashkar-e-Mustafa terror organisation, who was arrested from Jammu on February 6

AAP candidates were leading in four wards as the counting for municipal bypolls began on Wednesday morning, election officials said.

Ayush Kishore (30), son of BJP MP Kaushal Kishore, was shot at by bike borne assailants in Mandiaon area in Lucknow, in the wee hours of Wednesday.