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The threat of a possible fourth wave of coronavirus looms large as the cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus rising across the globe. Owing to the Omicron-fuelled wave of infections, countries like New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, and Austria have recorded their highest single-day infection counts this month. Despite that, India has resumed regular overseas flights and has decided to lift containment restrictions (except facial masks and social distancing) this month. Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had announced that all existing COVID restrictions will be removed on March 31.

In a communication to the chief secretaries of all states, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that over the last 24 months, significant capacities have been developed for various aspects of management of the pandemic, such as diagnostics, surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, vaccination, hospital infrastructure. "Also, the general public now has a much higher level of awareness of COVID-appropriate behavior", he said. The states and Union Territories have also developed their own capacities and systems and implemented their detailed specific plans for managing the pandemic, he stated further, adding over the last seven weeks or so there has been a steep decline in the number of cases.

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred the hearing on the issue of granting minority status to Hindus in states where they are outnumbered by other communities as solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted that he was not supplied the affidavit filed by the Centre which was filed on Sunday.

The Centre in its affidavit filed through the ministry of minority affairs took the stand that states can grant minority status to Hindus or any other community if the community is not in a majority within their jurisdictions, to enable them to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

At the outset of hearing, the solicitor general told a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh that he had not seen the affidavit and pleaded for adjournment. The bench, however, observed that contents of the affidavit have been widely reported in the media and expressed surprise that it was not “vetted” by the law officer.

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that states can consider granting Hindus the ‘minority’ status, if the community is not in a majority within their jurisdictions, to enable them establish and administer educational institutions of their choice, in keeping with the rights guaranteed to minorities by the Constitution.

Responding to a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, the Union government in an affidavit said that since the subject of identification of minority communities is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, both the Centre and the states have the power to legislate to confer minority status on certain religious or linguistic communities which are in minority in the country or a particular state.

Upadhyay had said that though the followers of Hinduism, Judaism and Bahaism are minorities in the states of J&K, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Manipur and Punjab, the majority communities in these states are treated as ‘minorities’ due of their national population percentage and they corner the benefits, which should accrue to the real minorities in them.

The Bharatiya Janta Party has returned to power in Uttar Pradesh for a second straight term in a historic election victory. Yogi Adityanath, too, has returned to office for a second consecutive term - a first in 37 years.

The BJP, which traditionally had Brahmins and Thakurs as its core vote base, has gone to great lengths to woo the Dalits, in addition to the Bhumihars and Jats in the crucial state elections, seen by many as a semi-final before the high-stakes 2024 general election.

As Yogi Adityanath took the oath of office today, 52 leaders were sworn in as ministers at a ceremony that was reportedly attended by 85,000 people, including senior politicians. Of them, 18 have been given Cabinet berths and 14 are Ministers of State with independent charges and 20 are junior ministers. The party has carefully distributed the positions among leaders who represent the backward classes, who are Muslims and who are from the Sikh community.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited Birbhum district’s Bogtui village where eight persons were charred to death after their houses were set on fire following the murder of a deputy village pradhan and met with the victims’ families.

The CM asked Director General of Police (DGP) Manoj Malaviya to arrest Trinamool Congress block president Anarul Hussain and to start raids all over the state to recover illegal arms and ammunition. Anarul was arrested from Tarapith of the district later in the evening.

So far, 21 people have been arrested in the case.