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Parliament Budget Session to resume today

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New Delhi, Feb 10: The Budget Session of Parliament will reconvene on Monday, with both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha set to meet. The session will continue discussions on the Union Budget for 2025, along with other significant matters.

One of the key highlights of the session will be the introduction of the new Income Tax Bill, which received approval from the Union Cabinet on Friday.

The Bill aims to simplify India’s direct tax laws, it will not introduce any new tax burdens but seeks to streamline existing provisions, removing long clauses and complex sentences to make the legislation more accessible. The Income Tax Bill is expected to be introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

While presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 on February 1, Union Finance Minister Sitharaman announced the government’s intent to bring a new Direct Tax Code. She had first announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act, 1961 in the July 2024 Union Budget.

With the budget debates in full swing and critical issues like the new tax laws and international relations at the forefront, today’s session promises to be action-packed, with lawmakers addressing key national concerns.

Earlier last week, the fifth day of the session saw intense debates in the Rajya Sabha, where External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar addressed the issue of deportations of illegal Indian migrants from the United States. EAM Jaishankar issued a detailed statement on the matter.

Jaishankar said, “We are, of course, in talks with the US government to ensure that the deported individuals are not mistreated in any way during their flight. At the same time, the House should understand that our focus must be on a strong crackdown on the illegal migration industry, while also taking steps to facilitate visas for legitimate travellers.”

The minister clarified that deportation is not a new procedure.

The Lok Sabha faced repeated adjournments due to disruptions caused by the Opposition, who focussed on the deportation issue. Despite the disturbances, proceedings continued with discussions surrounding the Union Budget, and there were deliberations on key legislative proposals expected to be introduced during the session.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his response to the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha, where he sharply criticised the Congress party.

Education

CBSE pattern in Maha govt schools from academic year 2025-26: Education Minister Bhuse

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Mumbai, March 20: Maharashtra Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced on Thursday that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern will be implemented in government schools across the state from the academic year 2025-26.

Textbooks under CBSE will be made available in Marathi by April 1.

The Education Department has issued instructions to the schools governed by the state education boards to implement the CBSE curriculum, the Minister told the Legislative Council.

The minister replied to the question raised by the BJP legislator Prasad Lad. He wanted to know whether the Steering Committee has approved the curriculum plan of the CBSE especially when the implementation of the National Education Policy for schools from class 3 to 12 is underway in the state.

“CBSE pattern will be implemented from the academic year 2025-2026 and the government has taken this decision with an aim of improving the quality of students in the state,” said the minister.

His announcement comes days after the Steering Committee had approved the State Curriculum Framework in relation to the school education department.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reviewed the work of all the departments including the school education department for the next 100 days.

Accordingly, he had expressed confidence in the meeting of the School Education Department that Maharashtra would once again come to the forefront of school education.

The Chief Minister directed that the Education Department should take steps for quality education.

He has also directed the School Education Department about the adoption of the CBSE pattern in the state government schools by making necessary changes.

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Mumbai court grants mutual consent divorce to Yuzvendra Chahal, Dhanashree Verma

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Mumbai, March 20: A family court in Mumbai’s Bandra on Thursday allowed a mutual consent divorce plea filed by cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and choreographer Dhanashree Verma.

Dhanashree and Chahal got engaged in 2020 and married in December of the same year in a private ceremony in Gurugram. “Divorce has been granted. The marriage has been dissolved. They are no longer husband and wife. The petition for divorce by mutual consent has been accepted,” Yuzvendra Chahal’s lawyer told media.

A day before, the Bombay High Court allowed an application filed by the estranged couple seeking waiver of the cooling-off period in their ongoing mutual consent divorce proceedings.

A bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Bombay HC directed the family court to decide the divorce petition on Thursday itself considering Chahal’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).

The leg-spinner was picked by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.

The Justice Jamdar-led Bench took note of the fact that the parties had been living apart for over two and a half years and had duly complied with the consent terms regarding the payment of alimony arrived at during the mediation process.

Under Hindu law, if the husband and wife have been living separately for one year or more, they may apply to obtain a decree of divorce by mutual consent. However, under Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a statutory cooling-off period of at least six months from the date of presentation of the divorce petition is provided, to explore possibilities of settlement and reunion between the couple.

The Supreme Court, in a landmark verdict in 2017, held that the 6-month cooling-off period is not mandatory, and the court may waive the condition if it is satisfied that there exists no possibility of parties resuming cohabitation.

The 28-year-old dancer, Dhanashree is known for her fusion dance performances that blend traditional Indian dance forms with contemporary styles.

Recently, Chahal was spotted amongst the spectators sitting next to social media star RJ Mahvash during the Champions Trophy Final. However, this was not the first time the two have been linked together.

Last year, in December, a picture of RJ Mahvash with the cricketer from a Christmas celebration went viral. The social media star then took to Instagram to set the record straight.

In a note, she wrote: “Some articles and speculations have been circulating around the Internet. It’s literally funny to see how baseless these rumours are. If you get seen with a person of the opposite gender, does that mean you are dating them? I’m sorry, what year is this? And how many people are you all dating then?” “I have been patient for 2-3 days now, but I won’t let any PR teams drag my name into this to cover up other people’s images. Let people live in peace with their friends and family during tough times.”

Chahal’s IPL journey, spanning over 160 matches, has been nothing short of remarkable. With 205 wickets to his name, he is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history, having surpassed Dwayne Bravo’s record of 183 wickets during the 2023 season. His career average of 22.44 and an economy rate of 7.8 underline his ability to combine wicket-taking prowess with miserly spells, a rare feat in the T20 format.

Chahal’s crowning moment came in 2022 when he donned the Purple Cap for Rajasthan Royals (RR), scalping a phenomenal 27 wickets in the season.

During the 2024 edition, Chahal became the first bowler in IPL history to breach the 200-wicket milestone. His IPL tally includes six four-wicket hauls, one five-wicket haul, and a hat-trick. Between 2014 and 2021, Chahal was Royal Challengers Bangalore’s go-to spinner. In 113 matches for the franchise, he scalped 139 wickets, a record that still stands as the highest for any bowler in its colours.

Despite his dominance, RCB made the surprising decision not to retain him ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

Chahal’s resurgence post-RCB was nothing short of spectacular. Representing RR in the last three seasons, he claimed 66 wickets, underlining his consistent impact.

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Barelvi Cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Calls For Ban On ‘Chhava,’ Blames Film For Nagpur Riots

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Bareilly: Barelvi sect cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi has called for a ban on the film “Chhava,” alleging it was inciting communal tensions and was directly responsible for riots in Nagpur.

In a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Razvi, who is also the National President of the All India Muslim Jamaat, Dargah Aala Hazrat, requested immediate legal action against the film’s director, producer, and writer.

Razvi claimed that the film portrayed Emperor Aurangzeb in a manner that provoked Hindu youths.

“The atmosphere of the country is deteriorating since the release of the film Chhava,” Maulana Razvi stated in his letter. “In the film Chhava, Hindu youth have been incited and provoked by showing the image of Emperor Aurangzeb as anti-Hindu. This is the reason why leaders of Hindu organisations are giving hate speeches about Emperor Aurangzeb at various places.”

Razvi specifically cited the communal riots in Nagpur on Monday a direct consequence of the film’s release.

“I immediately appealed for peace through the media and kept in touch with the Ulama and Imams of the mosque of Nagpur throughout the night to calm the atmosphere,” he said.

“The Muslims of India do not consider Emperor Aurangzeb as their idol and leader. We consider him only a ruler, nothing more than that,” Razvi added.

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