NEWS

Hashtags like 'BoycottBBC' and 'BanBBC' started trending on Indian Twitter on Wednesday after a caller to one of the British news network's radio shows made highly objectionable remarks about PM Modi's mother Heeraben Modi.

The comments were made during a radio programme called 'Big Debate' hosted on the BBC's Asian Network. The programme, which aired on Monday, was a three-hour-long special about the status and image of Sikhs in the UK.

During the show, host Pria Rai and a Sikh lawyer -- Harjap Bhangal -- were discussing a storyline from the popular British soap opera 'EastEnders' in which a Sikh character's turban is referred to as a "crown".

More than 50 students of a school in Haryana's Karnal have tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), a news agency reported citing a medical official on Tuesday. “Fifty-four students of a school hostel have tested positive for Covid-19... Our medical teams have reached the spot and the hostel is being marked as a containment zone,” Yogesh Kumar Sharma, Karnal’s civil surgeon, was quoted as saying by ANI.

Haryana had allowed students from Classes 9 to 12 to go to return to schools in December and reopened for those from Classes 3 to 5 from February 24. The government also decided to start regular classes for Classes 1 and 2 from Monday. It said in an official statement that the school timings will be from 10am to 1.30 pm. Parents have been asked to submit a consent letter to the school head or class teacher before sending their children to schools. And those who want their children to continue classes online can to do so, it said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday has said that the maximum temperature in the northwestern plains of the country is likely to be between 28-33 degrees Celsius for the next four to five days.

After that, the temperature is likely to reduce by 3-4 degrees Celsius after a wet spell over these areas that has been predicted in isolated places over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh on March 7, the IMD said in its bulletin.

"Maximum temperatures are likely to remain between 28-33 degrees Celsius over most parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh during the next 4-5 days. It is likely to fall by 3-4 degrees Celsius on March 7 due to the impact of a likely wet spell over these areas," the weather department said.

The Election Commission’s decision to hold West Bengal state elections in eight phases, the longest ever, has been questioned in a public interest litigation filed by a lawyer before the Supreme Court.

Lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma filed the petition on Monday and the same was registered by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The petition questioned the February 26 decision of the poll panel declaring eight-phase polling in West Bengal as against three phases in Assam, and a single phase in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Union Territory of Puducherry.

“Conducting election in eight phases while in single phase in other states, especially when West Bengal is not facing any terrorist attack or under disputed war zone…is a clear case of violation of Article 14 (right to equality) of the Constitution of India,” read the petition.