Rush hour: Judge hearing Delhi riots case reinstated, US to resume student visa interviews and more

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Arguments in the 'larger conspiracy case' related to the 2020 Delhi riots will not have to be heard afresh as the transfer of the judge who was hearing the case has been reversed. The transfer of Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai on May 30 from the Karkardooma Court to the Saket Court would have delayed the case significantly.
Five of the 18 persons accused in the matter and the public prosecutors would have had to present their arguments before the court again. Bajpai had been hearing the case since September. The case was at the stage of arguments on charges and the trial was expected to begin after the arguments were heard.
The case will be heard next in July. Read on.
Also read: Five years later: Delhi Police's riots conspiracy case is built on sand
The United States has said it will soon restart its student visa appointment process, but added that applicants will need to unlock their social media profiles to allow them to be reviewed. Every visa adjudication is a national security decision, said the Department of State. It added that authorities must be vigilant in ensuring that those applying for visas 'do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests'.
On May 27, all US embassies were directed by the Donald Trump administration to pause scheduling student visa interviews until 'further guidance' was issued.
US consular officials have been directed to look for 'applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism, especially when it is associated with violence' and determine the likelihood of such activities continuing in the US. Read on.
The Central Board of Film Certification has asked for a quote by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be included at the beginning of Aamir Khan's upcoming film, reports said. Sitaare Zameen Par was cleared for a theatrical release on Friday after several changes, including the removal of a visual and a subtitle containing the word kamal, or lotus in Hindi, Bollywood Hungama reported.
The quote by Modi appears in the opening disclaimer and makes a reference to the year 2047 , the Hindustan Times reported. Read on.
The identities of 211 of 275 persons who died in the Ahmedabad plane crash have been confirmed through DNA testing a week after the disaster. Of the total, the bodies of 189 persons have been handed over to their families.
Among these, 142 were Indians, 32 British citizens, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Besides, the bodies of seven persons who died on the ground have also been handed over to their relatives.
The crash on June 12 killed all but one of the 242 people onboard Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. Thirty-four persons were also killed on the ground after the plane crashed into the hostel building of the BJ Medical College and Hospital, according to the airline. Read on.
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Time of India

14 minutes ago

• Time of India

Watch: Rishi Sunak explains how following Dharma helped him become first Hindu UK PM

In a rare joint address that felt more like a fireside conversation than a commencement speech, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, investor-philanthropist Akshata Murthy, took the stage at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) to reflect on leadership, life, and the Eastern values that have guided them through power, politics, and parenthood. But it was one ancient Sanskrit word— Dharma —that became the philosophical cornerstone of their address to the Class of 2025. 'It's a concept known in Sanskrit as Dharma,' Sunak explained. 'The idea that we should gain our fulfilment from simply doing our personal duty, rather than from any rewards that may come with our efforts.' It was not just an abstract idea. Sunak revealed that Dharma was the principle that guided his decision to step into the chaos of British politics in 2022—after losing the Conservative Party leadership race, only to return weeks later as Prime Minister following Liz Truss's resignation and a market meltdown. 'At that point,' Sunak recalled, 'a purely ambitious politician would have sat out the impossible situation. But Akshata reminded me: my Dharma was clear.' That invocation of duty over ambition—a far cry from the usual Machiavellian fare of Westminster—drew warm applause from the GSB audience. For a school known for producing Silicon Valley unicorns and global CEOs, the speech was a gentle, unexpected reorientation: success isn't just about spreadsheets, scalability, and shareholder value. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Sometimes, it's about doing the right thing, even when it costs you. A Love Story in the Schwab Courtyard The speech was also deeply personal. Akshata and Rishi, both graduates of Stanford GSB's Class of 2006, met during their time on campus. 'This is literally where we met,' Murthy told the audience. 'In the Schwab courtyard, to be precise.' Their anecdotes—him in 'seriously uncool' cargo shorts, her dragging him along on runs—were a charming counterpoint to their more weighty themes. But even those early conversations, they said, were seeded with discussions about leadership, values, and Dharma. 'We started talking about this idea without knowing it,' Murthy said. 'At Arbuckle Café over breakfast… and whether 11am was too early for some ice cream for Rishi.' From Omicron to Om Sunak drew on his COVID-era experience as Chancellor of the Exchequer to drive home a broader point: while data was critical, instinct—rooted in values—was what made the difference. 'I used to find comfort in the idea that data could always provide a certain answer,' Sunak said. 'But Akshata helped me see that data can't look around corners. It can't make the decision for you.' It was a lesson, he said, that helped him resist pressure for a second national lockdown in late 2021, when the Omicron variant emerged. While the experts were divided, Sunak trusted his intuition—and ultimately, his duty to protect not just lives, but livelihoods. Dharma for the Next Generation The concept of Dharma wasn't just for prime ministers. Murthy extended it to young people, particularly through initiatives like Lessons at 10 and The Richmond Project, both aimed at increasing youth numeracy and life skills across the UK. 'Successes and failures are part of the package that comes with leadership,' she said. 'Dharma isn't just relevant in public service… it gives you the resilience and clarity to overcome whatever's thrown at you without losing your way. ' The GSB audience—diverse, ambitious, and often torn between idealism and practicality—was urged to embrace the same principle. Not to obsess over outcomes, but to anchor themselves in purpose. 'If you want to lead,' said Sunak, 'it's not a question of data or intuition. You've got to get comfortable with both.' An Indian Ethos in Global Power Data, Dreams and Dharma: Stanford GSB Commencement Speech 2025 That both Sunak and Murthy come from families steeped in Indian values added an additional layer to the message. As the daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, and as Britain's first Indian-origin prime minister, they embodied a fusion of East and West, Silicon Valley and Westminster, tradition and modernity. In invoking Dharma, they weren't just quoting a Sanskrit term—they were redefining global leadership with it. For a generation of graduates who will face climate breakdowns, AI disruption, political upheavals and moral dilemmas far more complex than case studies can capture, the message resonated: Don't just optimise. Do your duty. Whether it's in public service, entrepreneurship, or social impact, the world, they said, needs more leaders shaped not just by capital markets—but by Dharma. As the applause rang out and the tassels turned, Rishi and Akshata Murthy left the GSB stage not as power couple or policy wonks, but as philosopher-guides—reminding the next generation that greatness isn't just built on ambition or data, but something older, deeper, and infinitely more enduring. A sense of duty. Or as the Bhagavad Gita would put it: 'Karmanye vadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana' — 'You have the right to perform your duty, but not to the fruits of your actions.' That, perhaps, is the ultimate graduation gift.

Mint

27 minutes ago

• Mint

Ludhiana West Assembly Bypoll Result: AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora wins

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Sanjeev Arora on Monday won election from the Ludhiana West assembly seat in Punjab. He defeated Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu by a margin of 10,637 votes. Advertisement Arora secured a total of 35,179 votes while Ashu got 24,542 votes, according to the Election Commission data. The AAP workers started celebrations over Arora's victory in a fierce electoral fight. From the beginning of counting, Arora took the lead. Though the AAP nominee won, Ashu led fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of counting during which, the AAP candidate's margin dropped. After the first three rounds of counting, Arora was leading with a margin of 3,060 votes, which dipped to 2,286 votes after the sixth round. However, Arora's margin again started rising from the seventh round onwards. There were total 14 candidates, including BJP's Jiwan Gupta and Shiromani Akali Dal candidate Parupkar Singh Ghuman, in the fray and the counting of votes for the June 19 bypoll began at 8 AM at a centre set up in Khalsa College for Women in Ludhiana. Advertisement BJP's Jiwan Gupta polled 20,323 votes while the Shiromani Akali Dal's nominee Parupkar Singh Ghuman got 8,203 votes. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. A voter turnout of 51.33 per cent was recorded in the bypoll, a sharp drop from the 64% voting registered in the 2022 state polls. There were a total of 1.75 lakh eligible voters for the bypoll. The bypoll was seen as a litmus test for the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government and the ruling party's national leadership which aggressively campaigned to retain this seat. People rejected both BJP, Congress in bypolls: Kejriwal AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said people are fed up with the BJP in Gujarat and stressed that people had rejected both Congress and BJP in the bypolls. Advertisement AAP leader Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat, while BJP's Rajendra Chavda bagged the Kadi seat on Monday, as counting for bypolls to the two constituencies in Gujarat concluded, officials said. Kejriwal said the results of Ludhiana West show that the people of Punjab are very happy with the work of the government and they have given more votes as compared to 2022. "The people of Gujarat are now fed up with BJP and they are seeing hope in Aam Aadmi Party," he said in a post on X in Hindi.

NDTV

an hour ago

• NDTV

Chance For Arvind Kejriwal As AAP Seat In Rajya Sabha Falls Vacant

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party's ability to retain one seat in the Gujarat by-election and Ludhiana has not only underscored its growing grassroots grip but also holds out hope for party chief Arvind Kejriwal's entry into Rajya Sabha. In Gujarat, AAP's former state party chief leader Gopal Italia won the Visavadar seat - which fell vacant after AAP's sitting MLA Bhupendra Bhayani resigned and joined the ruling BJP. AAP has also retained its Ludhiana (West) assembly seat. AAP's Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Sanjeev Arora, defeated his closest rival and two-time legislator Bharat Bhushan Ashu of the Congress by a margin of 10,637 votes. The victory of AAP, which swept Punjab two years ago, indicated that the party's pull among voters with its "overall development and pro-people policies" remains intact despite persistent criticism from the Opposition Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal. Mr Arora's victory also creates an opening in parliament's Upper house that Mr Kejriwal is expected to fill. The former Delhi Chief Minister -- arrested and jailed in the Delhi excise policy case -- had to step down from his post in September last year, passing the baton to senior party leader Aatishi. There was expectation that he would be back at the helm after the assembly polls in Delhi. Mr Kejriwal had promised that he would be back only after a clean chit from the people. But the party, which had won three consecutive terms in Delhi, lost the election and the BJP came to power. Mr Kejriwal, however, denied that he would step into the upper house immediately. At a press conference held this afternoon, he said, "Kejriwal is not going to the Rajya Sabha, the party's Political Affairs Committee will take a call (on this issue)." For now, Mr Kejriwal apparently focussed on celebrating the party's victory. Thanking the people of Punjab and Gujarat, Mr Kejriwal said the people in both states have made it clear that they reject the BJP and the Congress. "Many congratulations to all of you on the splendid victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Visavadar seat of Gujarat and Ludhiana West seat of Punjab. Many congratulations and many thanks to the people of Gujarat and Punjab. In both the places, the victory margin has been almost double as compared to the last election," Mr Kejriwal said in a post on X in Hindi. "Both the parties, Congress and BJP, contested the elections together in both the places. Both of them had the same objective - to defeat AAP. But people rejected both these parties in both the places," he claimed in the post. Two assembly bypolls were held in Gujarat, one each in Kerala, West Bengal, and Punjab, on Tuesday. Polling took place at the Assembly constituencies of Kadi (SC) and Visavadar in Gujarat, Nilambur in Kerala, Ludhiana West in Punjab and Kaliganj in West Bengal.