1. IED Blast in J&K’s Pulwama: At Least 30 CRPF Jawans Killed, Several Injured
At least 30 CRPF personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday, 14 February, when a parked vehicle carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) blasted next to the convoy they were traveling in, sources told The Quint. The blast ripped through two of the buses.
The Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Police has identified the terrorist as Adil Ahmad from Kakapora in Pulwama.
Follow all the live updates on the Pulwama attack here.
2. BJP More Powerful Than AAP With Only 3 Seats: Kejriwal on SC Order
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, 14 February, that the Supreme Court's order on the power tussle between the AAP government and the lieutenant governor was against the people of Delhi.
He said that the BJP exercises more power in the national capital than the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, despite winning only three seats in the Assembly.
In its verdict on Thursday, a two-judge bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan agreed that the Anti-Corruption Bureau and setting up of an inquiry commission fall under the L-G’s control, while the Delhi government has jurisdiction over electricity boards, land revenue matters and appointment of public prosecutors.
The top court, however, was split over who controls ‘services’, and has referred the matter to a larger bench.
Read the full story here.
3. 36 Rafale Aircraft Could’ve Been Bought 14% Cheaper: CAG Report
The CAG report on the controversial Rafale fighter jets deal was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, 13 February. The audit report titled ‘Capital Acquisition In Indian Air Force’ says that the Modi-led government has purchased 36 Rafale fighter jets for 2.86% less than their price quoted in 2007.
The CAG report does not mention the price of the aircraft – all the figures related to the purchase of the aircraft have been redacted on the MoD’s request. It only states the comparative price of 2007 and 2016 in terms of percentage.
A deep dive into the CAG report on Rafale deal further reveals that the Modi-led government could’ve purchased aircraft at 14% cheaper had the Ministry of Defence (MoD) succeeded in removing some items from the aircraft which were not required by the Indian Air Force – and, of course, had they negotiated harder with French company Dassault Aviation.
Read the full story here.
4. I Resigned to Defend Mevani’s Freedom of Speech: Prof Hemant Shah
“I like teaching. it’s not just my profession, it’s also my hobby. And I have one year and nine months left on my tenure. I have only resigned as the acting principal of HK Arts College, not as the professor and head of Department of Economics,” said a resilient Hemant Kumar Shah, while speaking to The Quint early on Wednesday, 13 February.
Professor Shah is in the spotlight after he resigned as the acting principal of HK Arts College, Ahmedabad, as a mark of protest after Dalit leader and independent MLA from Vadgam Jignesh Mevani was disinvited from the college’s annual day programme.
Read the full story here.
5. Review: Ranveer-Alia’s ‘Gully Boy’ Is a Ferocious Gaze at Status Quo
Gully Boy from its onset gets us into the mood. We unthinkingly nod our heads and tap our feet in a synchronised fashion. The infectious tempo slowly grows on us as Zoya Akhter and Reema Kagti’s screenplay plunges headlong into the lives of Murad (Ranveer Singh) and Safeena (Alia Bhatt).
Jay Oza’s camera makes Dharavi’s serpentine claustrophobic lanes expand and contract like a living, breathing organism.
Here are characters who demand to be heard, to be seen and to be acknowledged – the warm gush of words and beats reinforcing the anger that slowly seethes.
Read the full review here.
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