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From restoring reservations for Maratha and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities to handling the financial situation of the government, there is no dearth of challenges awaiting newly sworn-in Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde.

However, the 58-year-old’s real challenge will be running the government with a powerful ally who will likely be in control of everything – from the numbers on the floor of the assembly to key departments. He will have to tread cautiously to avoid any possible perception of being a puppet chief minister.

Shinde, who became the chief minister following his rebellion against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last month, will also have to find a way to restore the political reservation that the OBC community enjoyed in local self-government bodies but was set aside by the Supreme Court in March this year.

Delhi on Friday received its first spell of monsoon on Thursday bringing the capital’s maximum temperature to 29.4 degrees, the lowest in four months.

The southwest monsoon has advanced into Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, parts of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan on Thursday, the India Meteorological Department said. The southwest monsoon usually arrives in Delhi on June 27 and covers the entire country by July 8.

Mumbai is also likely to receive “very heavy to extremely heavy” showers in the city and suburbs in the next 24 hours.

The new guidelines of the consumer affairs ministry will empower people to approach consumer commissions and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) if hotels and restaurants seek service charge despite the ministry asking them to stop making the levy. It will be completely up to the customers to pay any amount as tip and eateries cannot directly or indirectly levy any charge more than the rate of food items.

Sources said the ministry in the next few days will come out with the fresh guidelines, which will have legal backing to deal with this menace. "There will be no room for including any service charge in the bill in the new guidelines. Earlier there was no provision in the rules to seek redressal against such charge by the eateries. The earlier Consumer Protection Act had no provision for CCPA, which is now a nodal authority to address consumers' concerns," said an official.

A large number of people from various tribal communities of five states, including Jharkhand, Odisha, and Assam, staged a demonstration in Delhi on Thursday, demanding that the Centre recognise their religion as 'Sarna'and ensure their enumeration under this category during the upcoming census.

The agitators also took a pledge to intensify their struggle in order to get the government recognition of the 'Sarna dharma code' and held a mass prayer at Jantar Mantar, seeking the blessings of their deities and revered leaders.

The agitation was organised to mark the anniversary of the beginning of the Santhal Rebellion against the British on June 30, 1855.

A triumphant Eknath Shinde arrived for the swearing-in ceremony with his infant grandson in his arms and took oath after invoking Sena founder Bal Thackeray and his mentor Anand Dighe. By contrast, Devendra Fadnavis looked visibly uncomfortable.

“It is the large-heartedness of Fadnavis to give up the chief minister’s post for one of Balasaheb’s Shiv Sainiks although BJP has the support of 120 MLAs,” said Shinde, who claims the support of 50 MLAs. He said this was a “historic moment” and was not motivated by posts or ambition. “We will take Balasaheb’s Hindutva forward. Decisions on such issues were delayed in the MVA government,” he said. The alliance also has the support of 16 smaller parties and Independent MLAs.