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Former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee has been named as an accused in the chargesheet filed by the CBI in a teacher recruitment scam. A total of 16 names have been mentioned in the CBI chargesheet.

Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in July after nearly Rs 50 crore in cash was recovered from several residences of his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee.

Soon after, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee relieved Partha Chatterjee of his duties as a minister-in-charge of several heavyweight portfolios, including commerce and industry.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday broke his silence on his decision for the Congress presidential election and said he will not be contesting. This comes after he met with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi following the political crisis in Rajasthan.

He said he decided not to contest the elections after the political crisis erupted in Rajasthan. Following his exit, the top runners for the party's top post are Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh.

With the central government putting a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates for a period of five years, a heavy police presence was witnessed outside the PFI office in the Shaheen Bagh area here on Wednesday. The Delhi Police is extra-vigilant to prevent any untoward situation that may arise due to the Centre`s action. It is even using "drones" to keep an eye over the Shaheen Bagh area, besides patrolling the streets just next to the PFI office.

The PFI affiliates include Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women`s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an "unlawful association".

Sending a stern message that states wasting judicial time by filing frivolous petitions in court would not be tolerated, the Supreme Court has imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the Tamil Nadu government for filing an appeal in the apex court even after the issue had been adjudicated.

"It is required to be noted that as such the state ought not to have filed the present Special Leave Petition. Despite the fact that the issue with respect to entitlement of pension by the respondent was concluded up to this court, still thereafter, the state had the audacity to contend that the respondent was not entitled to pension," a bench of Justices M R Shah and Krishna Murari said.

The Centre on Wednesday announced the appointment of Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). In a statement, the ministry of defence said the retired Lt General will also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs.

“Govt of India appoints Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who will also function as Secretary to Government of India, Department of Military Affairs,” the defence ministry statement read.

In a career spanning over nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan had held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and the northeast, the statement read.