In a major setback to the Bihar government, the Patna High Court has deemed its decision to raise the quota in jobs and education for certain categories to 65 percent as unconstitutional. The court argued that the amendment was a violation of the Constitution and the right to equality. The government had based the amendment on a caste survey conducted in the state, but the court found it to be discriminatory and against the principles of equal opportunity and status. The increase in quota would have provided reservations for 43 percent of Other Backward Classes, 20 percent of Scheduled Castes, and 2 percent of Scheduled Tribes.
The Patna High Court has struck down the increase in reservations for Dalits, backward classes, and tribals in government jobs and educational institutions in Bihar, which was implemented by the Nitish Kumar government last year. A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran passed the order, citing that the amendments to the reservation laws were in violation of the Constitution. This decision has sparked controversy and debates on the issue of reservations in India's political landscape.
The T20 World Cup match between India and USA at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York witnessed a powerful pull by batsman Nitish Kumar of Team USA against fast bowler Arshdeep Singh of Team India. However, a miracle happened when fielder Mohammed Siraj of Team India plucked a stunner catch near the boundary rope, leaving fans in awe of his jaw-dropping effort. A video shared by ICC shows the amazing piece of fielding, which proves the Indian team's dominance in the match against USA.
Indian cricketer Mohammed Siraj made a spectacular catch to dismiss USA's Nitish Kumar in the 15th over of the T20 World Cup match. This was the highlight of Indian bowler Arshdeep Singh's performance as he ended with figures of 4-9 and helped his team win against the USA. This match was played on the Nassau County Cricket Ground in New York and saw USA struggling to make a competitive total after losing wickets in regular succession following Kumar's dismissal.
In a recent NDA meeting ahead of the government's swearing-in ceremony, it was decided that Chandrababu Naidu's TDP will be given four portfolios and the parliamentary speaker position, while Nitish Kumar's JD(U) will receive two cabinet positions. The likely TDP candidates for the cabinet are Ram Mohan Naidu, Harish Balayogi, and Daggumalla Prasad, while senior leaders Lalan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur are proposed for the JDU. This decision comes after the parties secured significant Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar respectively.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has asserted that if JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar is a "kingmaker", he should use his influence to get Bihar a special status and push for a caste census across the country. This demand comes as BJP has fallen short of majority and will require support from its allies to form the government for the third time. Meanwhile, the Opposition alliance, after a meeting at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, has indicated a restraint rather than a proactive push for government formation.
Amid growing concerns and protests over the recently declared NEET-UG 2024 result, medical aspirants and their parents from Maharashtra have written to state medical education minister Hasan Mushrif seeking intervention. They have raised concerns about various irregularities in the result, including the provision of grace marks and an unprecedented number of perfect scorers. Some are even planning to move the Bombay High Court against the result. JD(U) advisor K C Tyagi has also revealed that the same INDIA bloc, which previously refused to make party supremo Nitish Kumar its national convenor, has now offered him the position of Prime Minister.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar showed his support for the proposal of naming Narendra Modi as the leader of the Lok Sabha and NDA Parliamentary Party on Friday. Prime Minister Modi, in a humble gesture, made way for Kumar to pass in front of him during the occasion of leaders coming together to show their support. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu also praised Modi's leadership and vision, stating that he is the right leader for India.
Following the recent election results, JD(U) has set its sights on securing important cabinet positions, particularly the Railways ministry, in order to push for key demands and bring development and infrastructure to Bihar, leader Nitish Kumar's home state. With a potential alliance with the NDA in the works, JD(U) is in a powerful bargaining position and has already expressed its interest in portfolios such as Rural Development and Jal Shakti which hold significant budgets.
Despite setting the target of winning 370 seats, Narendra Modi's BJP falls short of an absolute majority in the Indian elections, marking a return of the coalition government trend after a decade. While JDU national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan defends Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's support for Modi, the opposition bloc INDIA gains new life as they successfully hinder the saffron juggernaut. As Modi returns for a rare third consecutive term, the debate of anti-incumbency sets in with BJP's failure to achieve a majority and relying on regional parties like TDP and JDU to form the government.