New Delhi: Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on March 19 regarding the stayed University Grants Commission equity regulations, activists on Tuesday called for their immediate enforcement, highlighting the imperative to combat caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions. Activists demand UGC equity rules implementation before March 19 SC hearing. The demand was voiced at a public hearing and press conference held at the Press Club of India by the All India Forum for Equity and Samta Sangharsh Samiti. Speakers highlighted the regulations’ role in combating university discrimination. Controversy arose after the UGC announced the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, on January 13, requiring all affiliated higher education institutions to form equity committees with OBC, SC, and ST representatives to handle discrimination complaints and foster inclusion. The decision faced criticism from various groups, who argued it could be abused to stir caste tensions and poison the academic atmosphere. In response to the outcry, the Supreme Court on January 29 stayed the UGC’s equity regulations on campus caste discrimination, deeming the framework “prima facie vague,” potentially leading to “very sweeping consequences” and risking societal division with a “dangerous impact.” “If we do not intervene, it will lead to a dangerous impact, will divide society and will have a grave impact… Prima facie, we say that the language of the regulation is vague and experts need to look into it for the language to be modulated so that it is not exploited,” stated a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The court also directed the Centre and UGC to reply by March 19 to three petitions challenging the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2026, which define caste-based discrimination narrowly as bias against SCs, STs, and OBCs. Delhi University faculty member Kanchan condemned “institutional murders” in universities and underscored the need for clauses 3 and 3. She argued that fears of “false complaints” dismiss victims’ realities. Senior journalist Anil Chamadia remarked, “The resistance to UGC regulations reveals the hierarchical nature of Indian society lurking behind a constitutional facade.” Additional speakers pointed out that caste discrimination persists outside UGC institutions and stressed the importance of “strengthening collective platforms” for the anti-caste movement. Student activists affiliated with left-wing groups from multiple Delhi universities also attended the conference. This article was produced from an automated news agency feed with no changes to the text. 

 YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy accused TDP on Tuesday of being the sole political party whose MP, P Mahesh Kumar, was nabbed in a drugs case. TDP ‘only’ party with parliamentarian caught in drugs case: YSRCP chief Jagan. Telangana police raided a farmhouse owned by former BRS MLA Rohit Reddy near Hyderabad, where Kumar was caught using drugs and subsequently released. The former chief minister criticized the ruling TDP, questioning its governance and law enforcement. “TDP is the only party whose MP has been implicated in a drug case,” Reddy stated during an internal YSRCP meeting at the party’s central office in Tadepalli. Citing the drug incident, he challenged the ruling party’s reliability and dedication to administration. The opposition figure claimed women are unsafe in the state and accused the NDA coalition of sidestepping problems by forming committees rather than acting decisively. He highlighted a sharp difference between the prior YSRCP administration and the current TDP-led NDA government, saying households statewide are voicing discontent. Reddy accused the NDA alliance of corruption, noting that his YSRCP government took over a state with just ₹100 crore in the treasury in 2019. Despite Covid-19 hurdles, he said the previous YSRCP regime implemented fixes, sustained welfare initiatives, and fully executed its manifesto. Of more than ₹3.3 lakh crore in borrowings, he noted that ₹2.7 lakh crore went to welfare for the underprivileged. He charged the NDA with fiscal irresponsibility, pointing out it borrowed over ₹3.3 lakh crore in two years without delivering on election pledges. He further claimed falling state revenues, lands sold cheaply, and corruption plaguing projects in the greenfield capital of Amaravati. TDP offered no immediate reply to Reddy’s claims. Reddy announced plans to launch a padayatra soon to address public grievances, emphasizing priority for party workers in this phase. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. 

 New Delhi: With the countdown to International Day of Yoga 2026 underway, the Union Ayush Ministry has launched Yoga 365, a nationwide campaign to shift from a one-day event to year-round engagement and daily habit-building. Yoga 365 aims to make yoga an essential part of citizens’ everyday lives. The initiative to integrate yoga into citizens’ daily routines was officially launched at Yoga Mahotsav-2026, signaling the 100-day countdown to the 2026 International Day of Yoga on March 21. At the Vigyan Bhawan event, the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga signed an MoU with the wellness platform Habuild to provide free daily online yoga sessions. “The Ministry of Ayush seeks to extend the essence of that single-day event, turning yoga into an everyday practice.” Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav stated, “This vision has materialized as Yoga 365, a nationwide initiative aimed at integrating yoga into the daily routines of citizens.” He added that while India boasts one of the highest levels of awareness regarding traditional wellness practices, the key hurdle is converting that awareness into regular habits. Citing the National Sample Survey, he noted that awareness of traditional systems like yoga is 95 percent in rural areas and 96 percent in urban areas. The NSS data also reveals that at least one family member practices yoga regularly in about 1.1 crore rural households and 1.4 crore urban households, he said. Jadhav emphasized, “Yoga 365 is designed to close this exact gap between awareness and actual practice.” Yoga is a potent practice that promotes mental clarity, physical well-being, and emotional equilibrium. “Through Yoga 365, our goal is to inspire individuals to make yoga a part of their everyday lives, turning wellness into a lifestyle rather than a sporadic pursuit.” The minister emphasized that although the worldwide IDY celebrations have effectively raised awareness, the upcoming phase focuses on integrating yoga into daily routines within communities, institutions, and workplaces. The Yoga 365 concept is straightforward yet bold, shifting from one-day events to fostering year-round commitment and habits. The initiative seeks to rally communities via intensive outreach efforts, drive behavioral shifts, and weave yoga into varied settings like schools, offices, local groups, and online platforms. The collaboration with Habuild marks the campaign’s inaugural major digital push. The platform will offer free daily online yoga sessions, providing guided practice accessible to people across various geographies and fitness levels, ministry officials said. Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, noted, “According to the NSS 79th Round, there is a massive untapped gap between the 96 percent of urban Indians who know our systems and the smaller fraction who practice them daily.” Yoga 365, together with the recently introduced yoga protocols for non-communicable diseases, aims to close this gap by rendering yoga more acce 

 New Delhi: With the countdown to International Day of Yoga 2026 underway, the Union Ayush Ministry has launched Yoga 365, a nationwide campaign to shift from a one-day event to year-round engagement and daily habit-building. Yoga 365 aims to make yoga an essential part of citizens’ everyday lives. The initiative to integrate yoga into citizens’ daily routines was officially launched at Yoga Mahotsav-2026, which kicked off the 100-day countdown to the 2026 International Day of Yoga on March 21. At the event in Vigyan Bhawan, the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga signed an MoU with the wellness platform Habuild to provide free daily online yoga sessions. “The Ministry of Ayush seeks to extend the essence of that single-day event, turning yoga into an everyday practice.” Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav stated, “This vision has materialized as Yoga 365, a nationwide initiative aimed at integrating yoga into the daily routines of citizens.” He added that while India boasts one of the highest levels of awareness regarding traditional wellness practices, the key hurdle is converting that awareness into regular habits. Citing the National Sample Survey, he noted that awareness of traditional systems like yoga is 95 percent in rural areas and 96 percent in urban areas. The NSS data also reveals that at least one family member practices yoga regularly in about 1.1 crore rural households and 1.4 crore urban households, he said. Jadhav emphasized, “Yoga 365 is designed to close this exact gap between awareness and actual practice.” Yoga is a potent practice that promotes mental clarity, physical well-being, and emotional equilibrium. “Through Yoga 365, our goal is to inspire individuals to make yoga a part of their everyday lives, turning wellness into a lifestyle rather than a sporadic pursuit.” The minister emphasized that although the worldwide IDY celebrations have effectively raised awareness, the upcoming phase focuses on integrating yoga into daily routines within communities, institutions, and workplaces. The Yoga 365 concept is straightforward yet bold, shifting from one-day events to fostering year-round commitment and habits. The initiative seeks to rally communities via intensive outreach efforts, drive behavioral shifts, and weave yoga into varied settings like schools, offices, local groups, and online platforms. The collaboration with Habuild marks the campaign’s inaugural major digital push. The platform will offer free daily online yoga sessions, providing guided practice accessible to people across various geographies and fitness levels, ministry officials said. Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, noted, “According to the NSS 79th Round, there is a massive untapped gap between the 96 percent of urban Indians who know our systems and the smaller fraction who practice them daily.” Yoga 365, together with the recently introduced yoga protocols for non-communicable diseases, aims to close this gap by rendering yoga 

 The Congress party on Tuesday announced its first list of 55 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly Elections 2026.. The dates declared by the EC are-polling on April 9 and counting of votes on May 4. (ANI). The list shows several prominent leaders, with state party president Sunny Joseph set to contest from Peravoor. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has been fielded from Paravur, while Chandy Oommen will contest from Puthuppally.. Senior leader Ramesh Chennithala has been named as the candidate from Haripad, and Ramya Haridas will contest from Chirayinkeezhu. Veteran leader K Muraleedharan has been fielded from Vattiyoorkavu.. 1. Adv. Sajeev Joseph – Irikkur. 2. Abdul Rasheed – Dharmadam. 3. K.P. Saju – Thalassery. 4. Adv. Sunny Joseph – Peravoor. 5. Ms. Usha Vijayan – Mananthavady – ST. 6. I.C. Balakrishnan – Sulthanbathery – ST. 7. Adv. T. Siddique – Kalpetta. 8. K.M. Abhijith – Nadapuram. 9. Adv. K. Praveen Kumar – Quilandy. 10. V T Sooraj – Balusseri – SC. 11. Mrs. Vidhya Balakrishnan – Elathur. 12. Adv. K. Jayanth – Kozhikode North. 13. Aryadan Shoukath – Nilambur. 14. A.P. Anil Kumar – Wandoor – SC. 15. V S Joy – Thavanur. 16. Noushad Ali – Ponnani. 17. V.T. Balram – Thrithala. 18. Mrs. K.A. Tulsi – Kongad – SC. 19. A. Suresh – Malampuzha. 20. Ramesh Pisharody – Palakkad. 21. K.C. Subramanian – Tarur – SC. 22. Adv. Sumesh Achuthan – Chittur. 23. T. Thankappan – Nenmara. 24. K.N. Febin – Alathur. 25. T.N. Prathapan – Manalur. 26. Adv. Shaji J Kodankandath – Ollur. 27. Rajan J Pallan – Thrissur. 28. Adv. Sunil Laloor – Nattika – SC. 29. T.M Nazar – Kaipamangalam. 30. K. M Babu Raj – Puthukkad. 31. Saneesh Kumar Joseph – Chalakudy. 32. O.J. Janeesh – Kodungallur. 33. Roji M. John – Angamaly. 34. Anwar Sadath – Aluva. 35. V.D. Satheesan – Paravur. 36. T.J. Vinod – Ernakulam. 37. Mrs. Uma Thomas – Thrikkakara. 38. V.P. Sajeendran – Kunnathunad – SC. 39. Dr. Mathew Kuzhalnadan – Muvattupuzha. 40. K. Binu – Vaikom – SC. 41. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan – Kottayam. 42. Chandy Oommen – Puthuppally. 43. Mrs. Shanimol Usman – Aroor. 44. K. R. Rajendra Prasad – Cherthala. 45. Ramesh Chennithala – Haripad. 46. Ms. Adv. Muthara Raj – Mavelikkara – SC. 47. C.R. Mahesh – Karunagappally. 48. Mrs. Adv. P. Aisha Potty – Kottarakkara. 49. Jyothikumar Chamakkala – Pathanapuram. 50. P.C. Vishnunadh – Kundara. 51. Mrs. Adv. Bindhu Krishna – Kollam. 52. Sooraj Ravi – Chathannoor. 53. Ms. Ramya Haridas – Chiraninkeezhu – SC. 54. K. Muraleedharan – Vattiyoorkavu. 55. M. Vincent – Kovalam. The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Kerala Assembly elections at a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirming that the Model Code of Conduct would come into force with immediate effect.. The dates declared by the EC are-polling on April 9 and counting of votes on May 4.