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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (January 13) said Indian Armed Forces have opportunities for the youth of all castes and religions. Singh said this as he praised UP girl Sania Mirza for her selection to the National Defence Academy (NDA). Addressing the convocation ceremony of a university, Singh said, "Indian Armed Forces have opportunities for the youth of all castes and religions. A Muslim girl Sania Mirza will become India's first female Muslim fighter pilot after successful completion of the course."  Sania Mirza, hailing from Jasovar village under the Mirzapur Dehat Kotwali Police Station, aspires to become a fighter pilot like the country's first woman fighter pilot Avni Chaturvedi. 

Ayoung man broke through a barricade and rushed towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's car to offer him a garland during a roadshow held in Karnataka on Thursday. The police said that there was no breach in PM Modi's security. Meanwhile, sources said that the young man in question was allowed by the prime minister to offer the garland.

A video from the roadshow shows a young man rushing towards PM Modi's convoy with a garland held high. The police and traffic officials on duty immediately pulled the young man back.

PM Modi can be seen stretching his hand to take the garland. Security officials accompanying him got hold of the garland and handed it to the prime minister.

Former Union Minister and veteran socialist leader from Bihar, Sharad Yadav passed away on Thursday evening at the age of 75 after a prolonged illness. The veteran leader breathed his last at Fortis Hospital in Gurugram where he was rushed after he collapsed at his residence in Delhi. Sharad Yadav was suffering from kidney-related issues for a long time and regularly underwent dialysis.  His daughter Subhashini Yadav confirmed his demise on social media. "Papa Ab Nahi Rahe," (Papa is no more) she said on Facebook. Sharad Yadav was ill for a long time and was undergoing treatment in Gurugram`s Fortis Hospital.

The veteran Bihar politician was a socialist leader who remained a prominent figure for a large part of his political life, especially in the peak era of coalitions. He forged several alliances and during his long political career, he saw friends turning into foes and then again returning back to forge partnerships. 

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma on Thursday challenged in the Bombay High Court the orders of the Maharashtra State Tax Department hiking levies on the payments she has received for endorsements and hosting award functions.  When the matter came up before a division bench of Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Abhay Ahuja, government pleader Jyoti Chavan sought time to file a reply. Accordingly, the court has directed the state government to file its response in two of the pleas which were taken up and posted the matter for further hearing on February 6. 

Anushka has questioned the orders of the Deputy Commissioner, Sales Tax raising her dues for the assessment years 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016, under the Maharashtra Value Added Tax Act. 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Centre is not prevented from increasing the amount of compensation to the victims of the Bhopal gas leak tragedy and it can pay the amount from its pocket, not seek re-opening of its settlement with Union Carbide to increase a claim it accepted more than three decades ago.

A constitution bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Abhay S Oka, Vikram Nath and J K Maheshwari said that the scope of the curative petition filed by the Centre is very limited and it could not be converted into a civil suit. It said that there has to be a closure of all legal disputes.